The Thistle has been used in the traditional medicine of different cultures for centuries. It is part of the family Asteraceae, or the sunflower family. In America, Native American communities used the Yellow Spined Thistle medicinally in many ways.
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| Photo Courtesy Eugene Sturla, Southwestdesertflora.com |
Cirsium ochrocentrum, native to the Great Plains and the American Southwest is the Latin name for the Yellow Spined Thistle which is a perennial that can grow up to five feet high. It prefers well-drained sandy to gravelly soil that is slightly acidic. It can be found in prairies, pastures, and along roadsides. The symmetrical disk-shaped flowers with their enlarged spiny urn-shaped base grow at the end of erect stems with prickly leaves. The flower itself consists of many individual flowers packed tightly together into the head of the blossom. This plant is known for its effusive flower head that is usually purple or rose in color. The name ochrocentrum comes from the Greek word ochos, meaning pale yellow, and refers to the yellow spot in the center of the flower head before it opens. Its delicate flower looks like a snowflake and is quite a contrast to the rest of the plant which is quite spiny. The flowers are both male and female and are pollinated by bees, flies, and beetles. The stems are white and covered with dense wooly hair. The narrow grey-green leaves with triangular teeth end in a sharp yellow spine. It spreads by taproot and by creeping lateral roots.
Medicinal Uses
Photo Courtesy Eugene Sturla, Southwestdesertflora.com
The odd look of this plant certainly attracted many Native Americans to use it medicinally. The Zunis made an infusion of the roots and used it to treat diabetes. An infusion was taken by both partners as a contraceptive. They also made an infusion of the entire plant and took it to treat syphilis. The Kiowa used the roots for food and made a decoction of blossoms as a wash for sores and burns. They also spread the blossoms over the graves of those recently buried to keep the wolves from digging up the body.
Did You Know...
The word Cirsium is derived from the Greek word kirsos which means swollen vein.
It cannot grow in the shade.
Many people in New Mexico and California consider the thistle a weed.
Thistles are an important source of nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies, and birds.
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