Taxon: Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.

Summary

Genus:

Silybum

Family:

Asteraceae (alt. Compositae)

Subfamily:

Carduoideae

Tribe:

Cardueae

Subtribe:

Carduinae

Nomen number:

33952

Place of publication:

Fruct. sem. pl. 2:378. 1791

Verified:

09/30/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

3 (3 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Carduus marianus L.

No images

Links

Forestry Images – Images of invasive weeds from www.forestryimages.org

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Bisset, N. G., ed. 1994. Herbal drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. A handbook for practice on a scientific basis CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. Note: translation of German edition by M. Wichtl, ed.
Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 271.
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Farnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23)
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1963. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Ortega-Sada, J. L. 1987. Flora de interes apicola y polinizacion de cultivos.
Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Radford, A. E. et al., eds. 1980-. Vascular flora of the southeastern United States.
Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
Seed Regulatory and Testing Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.D.A. State noxious-weed seed requirements recognized in the administration of the Federal Seed Act (updated annually).
Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.
Stewart, R. 1972. An annotated catalogue of the vascular plants of West Pakistan and Kashmir
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Vibrans, H., ed. Malezas de México (on-line resource).
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Wiggins, I. L. 1980. Flora of Baja California.
Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	blessed milk thistle		1	Seed Regulatory and Testing Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.D.A. State noxious-weed seed requirements recognized in the administration of the Federal Seed Act (updated annually).
English	bull thistle		1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
English	gundagai thistle		1	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
English	holy thistle		1	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
English	lady's thistle		1	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
English	milk thistle		1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
English	variegated artichoke		1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
English	variegated thistle		1	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Arabic	shawk el-gamal		2	Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
English (Canada)	milk thistle	Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada official name	2	Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 271.
French	chardon argenté		2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
French	chardon Marie		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French	lait de Notre Dame		2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
French	silybe de Marie		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French (Canada)	chardon Marie	Agriculture & Agroalimentaire Canada nom officiel	2	Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 271.
German	Mariendistel		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguese	cardo-leiteiro		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	cardo de María		2	Ortega-Sada, J. L. 1987. Flora de interes apicola y polinizacion de cultivos.
Spanish	cardo lechero		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	cardo mariano		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish	mariatistel		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transliterated Russian	ostro-pestro		2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Transliterated Russian	rastoropša pjatnistaja		2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Madeira Islands
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Egypt
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Libya
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Tunisia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Armenia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia	Ciscaucasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Tajikistan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Turkmenistan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Uzbekistan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Kurganskaja oblast'
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Afghanistan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Cyprus
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Egypt	Sinai
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iraq
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Israel
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Jordan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Lebanon
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Syria
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Himachal Pradesh
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Jammu and Kashmir
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Uttar Pradesh
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Pakistan
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bosnia and Herzegovina
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Croatia
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece		incl. Crete
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy		incl. Sardinia, Sicily
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Montenegro
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	North Macedonia
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France		incl. Crosica
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain		incl. Baleares
2	Cultivated					also cult.
3	Adventive	Europe	Eastern Europe	Estonia
3	Adventive	Europe	Eastern Europe	Latvia
3	Adventive	Europe	Middle Europe	Czech Republic
3	Adventive	Europe	Middle Europe	Germany
3	Adventive	Europe	Middle Europe	Netherlands
3	Adventive	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Serbia
4	Naturalized	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Azores
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias
4	Naturalized	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Eritrea
4	Naturalized	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Eastern Cape
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Gauteng
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia
4	Naturalized	Australasia	New Zealand	New Zealand
4	Naturalized	Europe	Eastern Europe	Belarus
4	Naturalized	Europe	Eastern Europe	Lithuania
4	Naturalized	Europe	Eastern Europe	Moldova
4	Naturalized	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation-European part	European part
4	Naturalized	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine		incl. Krym
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Belgium
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	Denmark
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	Ireland
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	Norway
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	Sweden
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	United Kingdom
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Slovenia
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	New Brunswick
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Nova Scotia
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Ontario
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Québec
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Connecticut
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Hampshire
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Vermont
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	West Virginia
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Baja California (Norte)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Oregon
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Washington
4	Naturalized	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	New Mexico
4	Naturalized	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Louisiana
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Mississippi
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Tennessee
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Arizona
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Nevada
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Alberta
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	British Columbia
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Saskatchewan
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Paraná
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Rio Grande do Sul
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Santa Catarina
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Chile
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Uruguay
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Peru

Native
Africa

MACARONESIA: Portugal [Madeira Islands]
NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Cyprus, Egypt [Sinai], Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan
SIBERIA: Russian Federation [Kurganskaja oblast']
MIDDLE ASIA: Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India [Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh], Pakistan

Europe

SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece (incl. Crete), Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), North Macedonia, Montenegro
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Crosica), Portugal

Cultivated (also cult.)
Adventive
Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands
EASTERN EUROPE: Estonia, Latvia
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Serbia

Naturalized
Africa

MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Azores]
NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Ethiopia
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya
SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa [Eastern Cape, Gauteng]

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand

Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: Denmark, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden
MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Belgium
EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part], Belarus, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine (incl. Krym)
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Romania, Slovenia

Northern America

EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Québec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick]
WESTERN CANADA: Canada [Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia]
NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Oregon, Washington]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [New Mexico, Texas]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arizona, California, Nevada]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Baja California (Norte)]

Southern America

BRAZIL: Brazil [Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina]
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Ecuador, Peru
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Bee plants	honey production		Ortega-Sada, J. L. 1987. Flora de interes apicola y polinizacion de cultivos.
Food additives	flavoring		Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2
Medicines	source of pharmaceutical agent	silymarin	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicines	source of pharmaceutical agent	silymarin	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicines	source of pharmaceutical agent	silymarin	Farnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23)
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2024. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=33952. Accessed 3 June 2024.