Cirsium vulgare

 American Indian Names



Description

The leaves on the thistle are alternate blades with simple rosette leaf blades that are ellipical  and 10-30 cm long; 2-7 cm wide.  The lobes are tipped with a yellow spine which is 5 mm long.  The stems are erect, sparingly branched above nearly a round enclosed seed.  It is a perennial forb and a native plant which flowers in June and July.

Location and Habitat

Thistle can be located throughout Nebraska on rangeland prairies, pastures, and disturbed sites.   We found this plant growing in several spots of the Omaha Indian Reservation, such as near the the small baseball field and north of the school.

Uses

Thistle increases with grazing on rangeland and has little or no forage value.  Horses may eat the flowering heads and songbirds eat the seed.  Some Native Americans used it for food.  the Navajo made a cold infusion and used it as an eye wash for both themselves and their livestock.  The plant was also used to  help people when they did not feel well and suffered with fever and chills.  The Hopi  used it as a laxative.  The Iroquois used the plant for hemorrages.  The Kiowa made a wash from the blossoms for sores.  The Buni took infusions of the roots as a contraceptive  and one of the whole plant for syphillis.

This Page was last update: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 2:14:06 PM
This page was originally posted: 11/29/06; 11:06:55 AM.
Copyright 2008 Plants of the Omaha Indian Reservation

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