What kind of wild vegetable is cirsium setosum? A detailed explanation of its four major differences from dandelion

Cirsium setosum, also known as qingqing grass and ci gou ya, is a common wild vegetable in fields, wastelands and roadsides. It has strong adaptability and can grow under any conditions, but it harms crop growth, so it is often pulled out as a weed. So what exactly is the rural wild vegetable cirsium setosum? What is the difference between it and dandelion?

1. What is cirsium setosum?

1. Cirsium setosum, also known as xiao ji grass and ci gou ya, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Cirsium in the Asteraceae family. It is common in rural fields, barren hills and roadsides. It has very strong vitality and is mostly treated as a weed in fields. Many people also take it home to feed pigs, cattle and various other poultry.

2. Cirsium setosum, also known as qiang dao cai, is a high-quality wild vegetable. The plant height is about 1-1.2 m, the stem is upright with white fine hairs on it, the upper part is branched, and it has very short petioles. It generally blooms and bears fruit from May to September. The flowers are long ovate or ovate, and the color is white or red. After the whole plant is cut, it can be dried in the sun or eaten directly.

3. Cirsium setosum, also known as ji ji cai, has high nutritional value and has the effects of reducing inflammation and sterilizing, clearing heat and detoxifying, and promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Regular consumption can cure cough, upset, chest tightness and other symptoms.

4. Cirsium setosum is a wild vegetable. Although it has medicinal value, it often grows in dry crop fields such as soybean fields, wheat fields and cotton fields, harming crops. Especially when it grows in large quantities, the harm is most serious, so it is very troublesome. Therefore, farmers dislike this vegetable the most. As soon as they see it, they directly pull it out or spray it with chemicals to kill it.

2. What is the difference between cirsium setosum and dandelion?

Cirsium setosum and dandelion look very similar, so many people mistakenly think they are the same kind. In fact, they are not. The specific differences between the two are as follows:

Difference 1: Different families and genera. Cirsium setosum is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Cirsium in the Asteraceae family; dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Taraxacum in the tribe Cichorieae of the Asteraceae family.

Difference 2: Different appearance. The stem of cirsium setosum has multiple branches at the base, and they mostly spread outward in all directions. Its flowers are white or purplish red, and it generally blooms and bears fruit from May to September. It is mostly used to feed cattle, sheep and so on; the stem of dandelion is upright, and its common state is brown or yellowish-white hairy. It generally blooms and bears fruit from April to October.

Difference 3: Different growth characteristics. After the seeds of cirsium setosum mature, they naturally fall off, and new life grows the following year; after dandelion seeds mature, they grow into white fluffy balls, and when the wind blows, they drift to other places, then fall to the ground and grow.

Difference 4: Different effects. Cirsium setosum has the effects of reducing swelling and removing blood stasis, and cooling blood and stopping bleeding. It can be used to treat high blood pressure, traumatic bleeding, hepatitis and other diseases. Especially for abrasions or scratches, it can be directly mashed and applied, and the wound will heal quickly; dandelion has antibacterial, anti-tumor, cholagogic and lactation-promoting effects. Regular consumption can improve human immunity.

In general, cirsium setosum is a wild vegetable that grows in fields. It is mostly used to feed poultry, and of course it can also be used medicinally. Although it looks similar to dandelion, the two have certain differences in appearance, growth characteristics and effects, so if you look carefully, there are still great differences between the two.