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Calochortus lyallii
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October 30, 2007 : Arctium minus
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Keywords: Asteraceae | Arctium minus Bernh. | Fish Creek Park, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Another thank you is due to Anne from Alberta (aka annkelliott@Flickr) for contributing a photo to BPotD (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool), so... thank you once again!
Well, I don't want to bore anyone, but I do need to mention that I had a dream with burdock in it a couple nights ago. Travelling along a forested road in my dream, I remember a forest understorey dominated by burdock (and that's about all I remember).
Arctium minus, or lesser burdock, is native to most of Europe, temperate west Asia and northern Africa. However, it has been introduced to North and South America, as well as New Zealand. In North America, it is now found across the continent. Its spread isn't surprising given the dispersal mechanism used, epizoochory (cf. epianthropochory).
Lesser burdock has a long history of culinary and medicinal uses, discussed in the Plants for a Future database and (briefly) in Emergent Vegetation of the Urban Ecosystem. For the usual excellent factsheet, Arctium minus at Missouriplants.com offers both a description and extra photographs.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at October 30, 2007 6:00 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Brent at October 30, 2007 7:38 AM
I should have wrote, does anyone have personal culinary experience with this root?
Posted by: Brent at October 30, 2007 7:45 AM
Beautiful photograph, Anne.
Daniel, I don't often dream of plants, but reviewing my gardening day or a walk in the forest does help me drift off to sleep.
And, Brent, I have a plant in my yard I need to research as to its culinary uses: Petasites japonica/japonicus?--Japanese butterbur...
Love this site!
Posted by: Debby at October 30, 2007 8:55 AM
What a nice photograph. Burdock is truely lovely. However it has to be cut out of my Corker Spaniel's coat.
Thank you ,
Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at October 30, 2007 2:08 PM
The root along with the root of dandelion, was used to make Root Beer, my father had a recipe. Quite tasty!
Posted by: Old Ari at October 30, 2007 3:28 PM
I never knew this aggravating devil was not native to North America. I shall now cull with abandon! Thanks for all the great photos and information. I am relatively new to the site and it is now a daily joy.
Posted by: Jane at October 30, 2007 6:43 PM
What? No pallid, supple and beautiful young bodies frolicking in the moonlight among the burdocks, like fairies? That is boring. The plant, on the other hand, can be kind of interesting when it grows large. Dramatic foliage for free. Of course, you have to get it to pop up in a convenient location first.
Posted by: Ron B at October 30, 2007 9:36 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.
This kind of weedy looking, coarse plant is wonderful to view in such a macro shot!
I wonder if anyone has tried digging and eating the root of any of the North American species of Arctium? (haven't investigated this). The Japanese species, A. lappa, is delicious: slice thinly, add sake, soy sauce, etc, a little simmering - yum! A great side dish.