thistle

thistle

/this·tle/ (this´l) any of a number of weedy plants of the family Compositae, having spiny leaves and flower heads surrounded by spiny bracts.

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blessed thistle  the thistlelike herb Cnicus benedictus, or its dried flowers, leaves, and upper stems; used for dyspepsia and loss of appetite; used also in folk medicine for fever and colds and as a diuretic.

milk thistle  the thistle, Silybum marianum, or its dried ripe fruit; used for loss of appetite and for supportive treatment in gallbladder and liver disorders.

thistle

Chinese medicine
A perennial plant, the root of which is antiemetic and antidiarrhoeal; it is used for gastrointestinal complaints (anorexia, bloating, diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, nausea and vomiting), abdominal and chest pain, diaphoresis, oedema, fatigue, and joint, muscle and pregnancy-related pain.

thistle

any of a large number of plants in the family Asteraceae. Some poisonous ones are variegated thistle (Silybum marianum), yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis).