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Blessed Milk Thistle (Silybum
marianum) is a milk thistle plant from the Asteraceae
family. This thistle can now be found the world over,
but was originally from southern Europe through Asia.
The Blessed Milk Thistle has also been known as the
Marian Thistle, St Mary's Thistle, and Mediterranean
Milk Thistle among others.
The seeds of the Blessed Milk Thistle
plant has long been used for treating liver diseases,
such as jaundice and hepatitis, gallbladder diseases,
and as a protective agent for poisons affecting the
liver.
Physical Appearance
The Blessed Milk Thistle is fairly
typical for milk thistles. This plant grows to anywhere
from 40 cm to 100 cm tall, with 4 to 5 cm long purple
to red flowers (which bloom from June to August). It
has pale green, hairless, and shiny leaves which are
oblong to lanceolate
in shape.
The stem of the Blessed Milk Thistle
is grooved, with a soft cotton-like feel. The bracts
found on this plant are also hairless, and have triangular-shaped
appendages with spines along their edges. The achenes
are black and sport a white pappus,
which is relatively long.
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