''Cirsium foliosum '', also called leafy thistle, foliose thistle, elk thistle, or
Evert's thistle, is a
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
n plant species in the tribe
Cardueae within the family
Asteraceae. The species is native to
Alaska,
Yukon,
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
,
Alberta,
British Columbia, and
Wyoming.
''Cirsium foliosum '' is a
biennial or
perennial herb up to 70 cm (28 inches) tall, blooming only once before dying. Leaves have thin spines along the edges. There are several flowering heads per plant, with white or pale pink
disc florets but no
ray florets.
The roots and stems are edible raw or cooked. The stem, when split open and peeled, can be eaten like celery. Bears, deer and elk also eat the plant.
See also
*
Truman C. Everts
Truman C. Everts (1816February 16, 1901) was the first federal tax assessor for the Montana Territory and a member of the 1870 Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition, which explored the area which later became Yellowstone National Park. He was lo ...
References
foliosum
Edible plants
Flora of North America
Plants described in 1833
{{Cynareae-stub