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Milk Thistle (aka Scotch Thistle)

Silybum marianum

Published on Project Noah
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49.1, -122.65

Field Notes

Description:

photo 2 shows the silky seed head ready to disperse seeds over the surrounding countryside.

Habitat:

gravel parking lot at Brydon Lagoon, Langley, BC. Pacific Northwest.

Notes:

Have seen these thistles all my life and called them Scotch Thistle, only now to find out that they probably are not! But are they Canada thistle then or Club Thistle?

Reference Links:

Silybum marianum

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (4)
KathleenMcEachern
Thanks for the ID Ricardo. So another common name for Milk Thistle is Scotch Thistle. And it is invasive - all over the place! I enjoyed reading about the health benefits. It has been used for 2000 years as a treatment for liver disease. Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/silymarin/NS_patient-milkthistle Interesting!
KathleenMcEachern
Right and I love to watch them eating at the thistles. Do you know which species this is Alice?
alicelongmartin
This is what the Goldfinches wait for to make their nests and raise their young.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Flowers of North America
Mission
The Pacific Northwest Bioregion
Mission
Wild Flowers of the Pacific Northwest
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project

Tags

Photographed
PublishedOctober 23, 2013

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