Cardoon | |
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Plants in bloom, Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park, Portugal | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Cynara |
Species: | C. cardunculus
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Binomial name | |
Cynara cardunculus | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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The cardoon (Cynara cardunculus /ˈsɪnərə kɑːrˈdʌnkjʊləs/),[2][3] also called the artichoke thistle, is a thistle in the family Asteraceae. It is a naturally occurring species that also has many cultivated forms, including the globe artichoke. It is native to the Mediterranean region,[4] where it was domesticated in ancient times and still occurs as a wild plant.