What is the difference between Carduus crispus and Cirsium japonicum?
Carduus crispus and Cirsium japonicum are very similar, and many people may not be able to tell what difference there is between the two. Below is a brief look at the difference between Carduus crispus and Cirsium japonicum.
1. The difference between Carduus crispus and Cirsium japonicum
Both Cirsium japonicum and Carduus crispus are plants of the Asteraceae family, but they belong to different genera. Cirsium japonicum belongs to the genus Cirsium; its rhizome is lumpy, spindle-shaped or radish-shaped, with basal leaves, an upright stem, many branches on the stem, and capitula. The difference is that the leaves of Cirsium japonicum are more deeply lobed, with serrated lobes and needle-like spines along the edges. The stem is relatively smooth, with few spines.
Carduus crispus belongs to the genus Carduus in the Asteraceae family and is fairly similar to Cirsium japonicum, except that its leaves are not as deeply lobed; the leaf edges likewise have spines. The difference is that the stem is cylindrical, has longitudinal ridges, and bears green wings, and the wings have needle-like spines, that is, the stem is covered with needle-like spines. This is a major characteristic of Carduus crispus. The capitula are shrivelled, the involucre is bell-shaped and yellowish-brown, the flowers are purplish-red, the pappus is spine-like and yellowish-white, and the odour is faint.
2. Effects and uses
1. Carduus crispus has the effects of clearing and draining damp-heat, and strengthening the spleen and kidney.
2. Cirsium japonicum has the effect of treating vomiting blood, blood in the stool, blood in the urine, and uterine bleeding in women. The medication contraindication for Cirsium japonicum is that people with deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach and without blood stasis should not take Cirsium japonicum.
In fact, Cirsium japonicum rarely grows in northern regions; almost everything seen in the north is Carduus crispus. When distinguishing them, the main thing to look at is the stem: if there are no spines on the stem, it is Cirsium japonicum; if there are spines on the stem, it is Carduus crispus.