HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Scolymus'' is a genus of
annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), a ...
,
biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and t ...
or
perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...
,
herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...
s that is assigned to the family
Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...
, and can be found in
Macaronesia Macaronesia (; ) is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlantic, North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of list of islands in the Atlantic Oc ...
, around the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
, and in the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
. All species are spiny, thistle-like in appearance, with flowerheads that consist of yellow (rarely orange or white) ligulate florets, and canals that contain latex. It is sometimes called golden thistle or oyster thistle, and is known as سكوليمس (skwlyms) in
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
and scolyme in French.


Description

The species of ''Scolymus'' are spiny herbaceous annuals, biennials or perennials of up to 1¾ m high, that contain a milky latex. These have twenty chromosomes (2n=20).


Root, stem and leaves

Biannual and perennial plants produce a stout taproot of up to 8 cm in diameter and 60 cm long. Young plants consist of a
rosette Rosette is the French diminutive of ''rose''. It may refer to: Flower shaped designs * Rosette (award), a mark awarded by an organisation * Rosette (design), a small flower design *hence, various flower-shaped or rotational symmetric forms: ** R ...
of leaves, which may be variegated, once-pinnately spiny-lobed, to 30 cm long, and having short, fleshy stalks. The stems can be simple or carry many branches, and carry spiny wings along their lengths. The wavy leaves with prominent veins are pinnately divided and are alternately set along the stems. The leaf margin has prominent pale green or yellow veins and large teeth which are topped by fierce spines. The leaf surface may initially be covered in soft, felty hairs, which quickly clear away, most slowly on the veins.


Inflorescence, flowers and fruits

The flowerheads are seated at the end of the stem or in the limbs of the higher leaves, are arranged in a spike or a globose cluster and are subtended by two to more than five leaflike bracts. Each flowerhead is circled by an
involucre In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...
that consists of many spine-tipped bracts in several rows, the outer papery and shorter than the inner ones, which are leaflike in consistency. These surround the common floral base (or receptacle), which is conical in shape and is set with ovate papery bracts called chaff or paleae. Inplanted are dorsally compressed cypselas, each enclosed by a palea, the outer rows higher than the inner ones. On top of the cypselas there may be two to five stiff scabrous bristles, which are equivalent to sepals (and are called pappus). Also, on top of the cypsela and within the pappus is a yellow, orange or white strap-like corolla which ends in five teeth, together comprising a ligulate floret.


Characters common to all Asteraceae

Like in all Asteraceae, the pentameric flowers have
anthers The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...
that are fused together forming a tube through which the style grows. The style picks up the
pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm ...
on hairs along its length and splits into two style branches at its tip. These parts sit on an
inferior ovary In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule(s) and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the ba ...
that grows into an
indehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that ...
fruit in which only one seed develops (a so-called cypsela). All florets are set on a common base (the receptacle), and are surrounded by several rows of bracts, that form an
involucre In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...
.


Characters common to Cichorieae

Golden thistles are assigned to the Cichorieae tribe that shares anastomosing latex canals in both root, stem and leaves, and has flower heads only consisting of one type of floret. In ''Scolymus'' these are ligulate florets, common to the group except for ''
Warionia ''Warionia'' is a genus in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae. The only known species is ''Warionia saharae'', an endemic of Algeria and Morocco, and it is locally known in the Berber language as afessas, abessas or tazart n-îfiss ...
'' and ''
Gundelia ''Gundelia'' or tumble thistle is a low to high (20–100 cm) thistle-like Perennial plant, perennial herbaceous plant with latex, spiny compound inflorescences, reminiscent of teasles and eryngos, that contain cream, yellow, greenish, pink, ...
'', which only have disk florets. A unique character setting ''Scolymus'' apart from the other Cichorieae are the dorsally compressed cypsellas which are surrounded by scales (or paleae).


Differences between the species

'' S. maculatus'' is an annual of up to 1½ m high, there are more than five leaflike bracts subtending each globose cluster of flowerheads, and these bracts are pinnately divided. The yellow florets carry some black hairs. The cypselas do not have pappus at their top (but are encased by the paleae). The spined wings along the stems are uninterrupted. Leaves have a whitish vein along their margin. '' S. grandiflorus'' is an annual or biennial of up to ¾ m high with one, two or three leaflike bracts subtending each cluster of flowerheads and these are spiny dentate. The yellow to orange florets do not have black hairs. The cypselas are topped by three to seven bristles of smooth pappus hairs (and are encased by the paleae). The spined wings along the stems are uninterrupted. '' S. hispanicus'' is an annual, biennial or perennial of up to 1¾ m high and it also has one, two or three spiny dentate leaflike bracts subtending each cluster of flowerheads and the yellow, orange or white florets also lack black hairs. The cypselas however are topped by two to five bristles of scabrous pappus hairs (and are encased by the paleae). In this species the spined wings along the stems are interrupted. File:Scolymus hispanicus whole plant.jpg, ''Scolymus hispanicus'' File:Scolymus grandiflorus Monte Pellegrino 07.jpg, ''Scolymus grandiflorus'' File:Scolyme1.jpg, ''Scolymus maculatus''


Taxonomy


Taxonomic history

In 1576
Carolus Clusius Charles de l'Écluse, L'Escluse, or Carolus Clusius (19 February 1526 – 4 April 1609), seigneur de Watènes, was an Artois doctor and pioneering botanist, perhaps the most influential of all 16th-century scientific horticulturists. Life C ...
describes ''Scolimus Theophrasti'' (= ''S. hispanicus''). In 1601 he extends the genus to three taxa, ''Scolymus Theophrasti Hispan.'' (= ''S. hispanicus'' subsp. ''hispanicus''), ''S. Theophrasti Narbonensis'' (= ''S. maculatus''), and ''Scolymus Dioscor. Castos Theophrasti'' (= ''S. grandiflorus'').
Rembert Dodoens Rembert Dodoens (born Rembert van Joenckema, 29 June 1517 – 10 March 1585) was a Flemish people, Flemish physician and botanist, also known under his Latinization (literature), Latinized name Rembertus Dodonaeus. He has been called the father o ...
in 1583 and
Francesco Cupani Francesco Cupani ( 21 January 1657, Mirto, Sicily, Mirto – 19 January 1710, Palermo ) was an Italians, Italian naturalist mainly interested in botany. In 1692 he became the first Director of the botanic garden at Misilmeri. Here the plants w ...
in 1713 introduce the name ''Carduus Chrysanthemus'' (for ''S. maculatus''), while in
Johann Bauhin Johann (or Jean) Bauhin (12 December 1541 – 26 October 1613) was a Swiss botanist, born in Basel. He was the son of physician Jean Bauhin and the brother of physician and botanist Gaspard Bauhin. Biography Bauhin studied botany at the Univ ...
’s posthumously published great work, ''Historia plantarum universalis'' (1650-51), it is called ''Spina lutea'', and
Robert Morison Robert Morison (162010 November 1683) was a Scottish botanist and Taxonomy (biology), taxonomist. A forerunner of John Ray, he elucidated and developed the first systematic classification of plants.Vines Biography Born in Aberdeen, Morison w ...
in 1699 referred to ''S. hispanicus'' as ''Cichorium luteum''. Since all of these names predate the start of the Linnean nomenclature in 1753, neither of these were valid. In 1753
Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
referred to the description
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (5 June 165628 December 1708) was a French botanist, notable as the first to make a clear definition of the concept of genus for plants. Botanist Charles Plumier was his pupil and accompanied him on his voyages. Li ...
made in 1700, providing the valid scientific name ''Scolymus''.


Subdivisions

Generally two sections are recognised. * ''Scolymus'', containing one species: ** '' S. maculatus'' is a species showing very little variability, and no hybrids occur where it grows together with ''S. hispanicus''. * ''Myscolus'', containing two species ** '' S. grandiflorus'' has some variability, particularly in the presence of soft hairs on the back of the leaves, but this is not regarded sufficient to distinguish between subtaxa. ** '' S. hispanicus'' has quite some variability, and two subspecies have been distinguished. *** subsp. ''occidentalis'' *** subsp. ''hispanicum'', which could be subdivided **** var. ''aggregatus'' **** var. ''aurantiacus'' **** var. ''hispanicus''


Phylogeny

According to recent genetic analyses, the genus ''Scolymus'' is related to the genera '' Hymenonema'', '' Catananche'' and ''
Gundelia ''Gundelia'' or tumble thistle is a low to high (20–100 cm) thistle-like Perennial plant, perennial herbaceous plant with latex, spiny compound inflorescences, reminiscent of teasles and eryngos, that contain cream, yellow, greenish, pink, ...
''. This results in the following relationship tree.


Etymology

The genus name ''Scolymus'' derives from the Greek σχόλυμος (skolymus) meaning "artichoke". Pliny used this name for ''Scolymus hispanicus''. The species name ''hispanicus'' is Latin and means "from Spain", while ''maculatus'' is Latin and means "spotted", and ''grandiflorus'' is also Latin and means "large-flowered".


Distribution

* '' Scolymus grandiflorus'' occurs in Spain including the
Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...
and the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
, southern France including
Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
, Italy including
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
, Turkey, Lebanon, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. * '' Scolymus hispanicus'' can be found from northwestern France southwards to Morocco, and in the east from Ukraine to Iran. It is also naturalized in Australia, United States, Argentina and Chile. * '' Scolymus maculatus'' grows from
Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
to the Canary Islands, throughout the Mediterranean eastwards to Iran. This species is naturalized in Australia and in North Carolina.


Ecology

''Scolymus hispanicus'' it said to grow in the centre of Spain along roads and paths, particularly in unstable, loose and poor soils. The also grow in arable lands, both cultivated and fallowed, and in pastures. The florets are pollinated by insects.


Use

Around the Mediterranean, such as in Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey, the midveins of the rosette leaves of ''S. hispanicus'', known in Spain as cardillo or tagarnina, are used as a popular wild food. It is generally gathered in April and May. These midveins are preboiled and lightly fried with garlic in olive oil. These serve as garnish for
cocido () or ''cozido'' () is a traditional stew eaten as a main dish in Spain, Portugal, Brazil and other Hispanophone and Lusophone countries. Etymology In Spanish, ''cocido'' is the past participle of the verb ''cocer'' ("to boil"), s ...
. Fried cardillo is further combined with garlic, cured ham, and hard-boiled or scrambled eggs. Midveins are also used raw in salads. The roots are cooked and eaten, and compare in taste to salsify. Roasted roots have been used as a coffee substitute. Florets have been used as imitation saffron. The root bark of ''S. hispanicus'' has been shown to contain the
triterpenoid Triterpenes are a class of terpenes composed of six isoprene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of three terpene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squalene, the pre ...
taraxasteryl acetate, and this substance is effective in suppressing spasms. In Turkey it is a component of a herbal elixir called lityazol çemil. Studies have indicated that ''Scolymus'' might be used for the bio-removal of cadmium, with the highest concentration measured over 50 μg/g dry weight, and of
methylene blue Methylthioninium chloride, commonly called methylene blue, is a salt used as a dye and as a medication. As a medication, it is mainly used to treat methemoglobinemia. It has previously been used for treating cyanide poisoning and urinary trac ...
and Eriochrome Black T.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2530127 Cichorieae Asteraceae genera