Holy Thistle

(Cnicus benedictus L., Compositae)

Also Called: Blessed Thistle.

Description: Sturdy annual plant, with pentagonal branched stem up to 70cm (28in) high.
Leaves elongated, lanceolate; margin dentate, each tooth ending in a spine; undulate; dark green with long. hairs on both surfaces.
Flowers yellow, more or less completely hidden within the involucral bracts; bract apex spiny and recurved as a hook.
Flowering: June-September.

Part Used: Dried flowering plant, rarely the fresh plant.

Habitat and Collection: A native of the Mediterranean region, introduced and a casual in Britain.
Cultivated as a medicinal plant in several European countries; grown from seeds in rows 30cm (1ft) apart in well manured soils.
The plant is collected when in flower and is dried in the shade.
Yield: 25-60kg (55-132 Ib) of dried plant per are (120 sq yd).

Constituents and Action: Holy thistle contains a small amount of volatile oil and a bitter principle.
In small doses it assists digestion; in large doses it is emetic.
At times it is used as an expectorant, but this action is doubtful.

Usage: To stimulate the appetite it is taken as a tisane (pour 0.5 litre (1 pt) of cold water on 1-2
tablespoonfuls of chopped drug and boil for two minutes).
It should not be used as a diuretic or for bronchitis, there are more effective drugs for these purposes.