Taxon:  Cynara cardunculus L. (Cynara cardunculus Cardoon and Scolymus Groups)



Summary
Genus:
Cynara
Family:
Asteraceae (alt. Compositae)
Subfamily:
Carduoideae
Tribe:
Cardueae
Subtribe:
Carduinae
Nomen number:
12839
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:827.  1753
Comment:
cultivated forms include Cynara cardunculus Cardoon and Scolymus Groups
Verified:
01/05/2011 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
22 (4  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. cardunculus (33 active accession[s])
Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. flavescens Wiklund (0 active accession[s])
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)
Fruits

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
  4. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  5. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  6. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  7. Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
  8. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  9. Farnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23)
  10. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  11. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  12. Gatto, A. et al. 2013. Population structure of Cynara cardunculus complez and the origin of the conspecific crops artichoke and cardoon. Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 112:855-865.
  13. Gominho, J. et al. 2001. Cynara cardunculus L. - a new fibre crop for pulp and paper production. Industr. Crops Prod. 13:1-10.
  14. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  15. Hu, S.-Y. 1970. Compositae of China. 340.
  16. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  17. International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
  18. Jessop, J. P. & H. R. Toelken, eds. 1986. Flora of South Australia, ed. 4.
  19. Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
  20. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  21. Lanteri, S. & E. Portis. 2008. Globe artichoke and cardoon. In: Prohens, J. & F. Nuez, eds., Handbook of Plant Breeding. Vegetables I 1:49-74. Note: this review used the names "Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus" to refer to artichoke, and "var. altilis" for cardoon; the latter a name of unresolved nomenclatural status
  22. Lanteri, S. et al. 2012. Morphology and SSR fingerprinting of newly developed Cynara cardunculus genotypes exploitable as ornamentals. Euphytica 184:311-321. Note: Netherlands journal of plant breeding
  23. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
  24. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  25. Mauro, R. et al. 2009. Genetic diversity of globe artichoke landraces from Sicilian small-holdings: implications for evolution and domestication of the species. Conservation Genet. 10:431-440. DOI: 10.1007/s10592-008-9621-2.
  26. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  27. Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
  28. Munz, P. A. & D. D. Keck. 1959. A California flora.
  29. Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
  30. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  31. Pignone, D. & G. Sonnante. 2004. Wild artichokes of south Italy: did the story begin here? Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 51:577-580.
  32. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  33. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
  34. Rial, C. et al. 2014. Phytotoxicity of cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) allelochemicals on standard target species and weeds. J. Agric. Food Chem. 62:6699-6706. DOI: 10.1021/jf501976h.
  35. Robba, L. et al. 2005. The monophyly and evolution of Cynara L. (Asteraceae) sensu lato: evidence from the Internal Transcribed Spacer region of nrDNA. Pl. Syst. Evol. 253:53-64.
  36. Rottenberg, A. & D. Zohary. 1996. The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 43:53-58.
  37. Rottenberg, A. et al. 1996. Isozyme relationships between cultivated artichoke and the wild relatives. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 43:59-62.
  38. Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
  39. Sonnante, G. et al. 2007. On the origin of artichoke and cardoon from the Cynara gene pool as revealed by rDNA sequence variation. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 54:483-495.
  40. Sonnante, G. et al. 2007. The domestication of artichoke and cardoon: from Roman times to the genomic age. Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 100:1095-1100.
  41. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1976. Flora europaea. 4:248.
  42. Vibrans, H., ed. Malezas de México (on-line resource).
  43. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  44. Wiklund, A. 1992. The genus Cynara L. (Asteraceae: Cardueae). Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 109:113.
  45. Willis, J. H. 1970-1972. A handbook to plants in Victoria.
  46. Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishartichoke  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishartichoke thistle  1Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Englishcardoon  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishglobe artichoke  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
EnglishScotch thistle but this adjective is best avoided, may cause offence in Scotland1Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
EnglishScottish thistle  1Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
EnglishSpanish artichoke  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Englishspiny artichoke  1Mauro, R. et al. 2009. Genetic diversity of globe artichoke landraces from Sicilian small-holdings: implications for evolution and domestication of the species. Conservation Genet. 10:431-440. DOI: 10.1007/s10592-008-9621-2.
Frenchartichaut commun as Cynara scolymus2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
Frenchcardon d'Espagne  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
GermanArtischocke as Cynara scolymus2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
GermanGemüseartischocke  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
GermanKardone  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
Italiancarciofo  2International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Portuguesealcachofra as Cynara scolymus2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
Portuguesecardo  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
Spanishalcachofa as Cynara scolymus2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
Spanishalcaucil as Cynara scolymus2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
Spanishcardo  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
Spanishcardo de comer  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Cynara scolymus
Swedishkardon  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias Wiklund, A. 1992. The genus Cynara L. (Asteraceae: Cardueae). Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 109:113.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria n.Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya n.w.Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco n.Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaTunisia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeCroatia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1976. Flora europaea. 4:248.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. Sardinia, SicilyTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1976. Flora europaea. 4:248.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance s. & CorsicaTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1976. Flora europaea. 4:248.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropePortugal  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1976. Flora europaea. 4:248.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain incl. BalearesTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1976. Flora europaea. 4:248.
2Cultivated    widely cult.Wiklund, A. 1992. The genus Cynara L. (Asteraceae: Cardueae). Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 109:113.
2CultivatedSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaPeru  Lanteri, S. & E. Portis. 2008. Globe artichoke and cardoon. In: Prohens, J. & F. Nuez, eds., Handbook of Plant Breeding. Vegetables I 1:49-74. Note: this review used the names "Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus" to refer to artichoke, and "var. altilis" for cardoon; the latter a name of unresolved nomenclatural status
4NaturalizedAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaCyprus  Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
4NaturalizedAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand  Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
4NaturalizedEurope Europe  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoGuanajuato Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoMichoacán de Ocampo Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoQuerétaro Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSouthwestern U.S.A.United StatesCalifornia FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaArgentina  Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaChile  Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaEcuador  Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Native
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias]
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria (n.), Libya (n.w.), Morocco (n.), Tunisia
Europe
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Greece, Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily)
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (s. & Corsica), Portugal
Cultivated

  • REGION:
Southern America
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Peru
Naturalized
Asia-Temperate
  • WESTERN ASIA: Cyprus, Turkey
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand
Europe
  • REGION: Europe
Northern America
  • SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [California]
  • SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Guanajuato, Michoacán de Ocampo, Querétaro]
Southern America
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Ecuador
  • SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Chile

Reference(s)
  1. Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
  2. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  3. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  4. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  5. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  6. Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
  7. Lanteri, S. & E. Portis. 2008. Globe artichoke and cardoon. In: Prohens, J. & F. Nuez, eds., Handbook of Plant Breeding. Vegetables I 1:49-74. Note: this review used the names "Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus" to refer to artichoke, and "var. altilis" for cardoon; the latter a name of unresolved nomenclatural status
  8. Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
  9. Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
  10. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1976. Flora europaea. 4:248.
  11. Wiklund, A. 1992. The genus Cynara L. (Asteraceae: Cardueae). Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 109:113.
  12. Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Human foodbeverage basefor making cynar, as Cynara scolymus 
Human foodvegetable Wiklund, A. 1992. The genus Cynara L. (Asteraceae: Cardueae). Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 109:113.
Materialsfiberpotential for paper productionGominho, J. et al. 2001. Cynara cardunculus L. - a new fibre crop for pulp and paper production. Industr. Crops Prod. 13:1-10.
Medicinessource of pharmaceutical agentcynarinMcGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicinessource of pharmaceutical agentcynarinFarnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23)
Non-vertebrate poisonsplant pest controlpotentialRial, C. et al. 2014. Phytotoxicity of cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) allelochemicals on standard target species and weeds. J. Agric. Food Chem. 62:6699-6706. DOI: 10.1021/jf501976h.
Weed  Rial, C. et al. 2014. Phytotoxicity of cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) allelochemicals on standard target species and weeds. J. Agric. Food Chem. 62:6699-6706. DOI: 10.1021/jf501976h.
Weedseed contaminantpotentialLazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
Weedseed contaminantpotentialWeber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=12839. Accessed 15 April 2026.