''Cynara'' is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

. The genus name comes from the Greek ''kynara'', which means "artichoke".''Cynara''.
Flora of North America. Among the better known species in this genus include: * '' Cynara cardunculus'' is the cardoon, artichoke thistle, or wild artichoke. The stems of cultivated varieties are used as food around the Mediterranean. It is a common source of a coagulant used as an alternative to

rennet Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease enzyme that curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, such as pepsin and a ...

in the manufacture of

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

, with the advantage that the cheese is then fully suitable for vegetarians; many southern European cheeses are traditionally made in this way. The more commonly eaten globe artichoke is usually considered to be an ancient cultigen of this plant. Cardoon is an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

in United States, Argentina, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. * '' Cynara humilis'' is a wild thistle of southern Europe and north Africa which can be used in cheesemaking like ''C. cardunculus''. * '' Cynara scolymus'' (syn. ''C. cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'') is the common edible globe artichoke. It differs from ''C. cardunculus'' in that the leaf lobes and inner bracts of involucre are less spiny. * '' Cynara cornigera'' leaves and flowers are eaten raw or cooked in Crete. ''Cynara'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of many

lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

ns, such as the

artichoke plume moth ''Platyptilia carduidactyla'', the artichoke plume moth, is a moth of the family Pterophoridae described by Riley in 1869. It is found in New Zealand and North America, from Mexico north into the United States. The wingspan is 19–32 mm. A ...

(''Platyptilia carduidactyla''), a pest of artichoke crops. ''C. cardunculus ''is being developed as a new

bioenergy Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms biom ...

crop in the Mediterranean because of its high

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...

and seed oil yields even under harsh conditions.

Species

The genus consists of the following species:Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
/ref>''Cynara''.
The Plant List. * '' Cynara algarbiensis'' - Spain, Portugal * ''

Cynara auranitica ''Cynara'' is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. The genus name comes from the Greek ''kynara'', w ...

'' - Iraq,

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, Lebanon, Israel,

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

, Jordan, Turkey * ''

Cynara baetica ''Cynara'' is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native plant, native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. The genus name comes from the Greek languag ...

'' - Spain, Morocco * '' Cynara cardunculus'' - cardoon - Mediterranean; naturalized in other regions * '' Cynara cornigera'' - Greece, Libya, Cyprus, Egypt, Libya * '' Cynara cyrenaica'' - Crete, Libya, Cyprus * '' Cynara humilis'' - Spain, Portugal, Algeria, Morocco,

* ''

Cynara makrisii ''Cynara'' is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. The genus name comes from the Greek ''kynara'', which mea ...

''Hand, R. and G. Hadjikyriakou. (2009)
''Cynara makrisii'' (Asteraceae, Cardueae), a new artichoke species in Cyprus.
''Willdenowia'' 39(1) 77-81. * '' Cynara scolymus'' (syn. ''C. cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'') - artichoke - area of origins unclear but probably Mediterranean; widely cultivated and naturalized * ''

Cynara syriaca ''Cynara'' is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. The genus name comes from the Greek ''kynara'', which mea ...

'' - Cyprus, Iran, Lebanon,

* ''

Cynara tournefortii ''Cynara'' is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. The genus name comes from the Greek ''kynara'', which me ...

'' - Morocco, Spain, Portugal

References

External links

* *
GRIN Species Records of ''Cynara''.
Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). {{Taxonbar, from=Q19070 Cynareae Asteraceae genera