Artichoke

(botany) Cynara scolymus. A herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the order Asterales; the flower head is edible.

Cynara scolymus, a herbaceous perennial plant, in the family Compositae; also called globe artichoke. Its origin is in the Mediterranean region. Artichoke requires a mild winter and cool summer with fog and little bright sunshine. It is a delicacy in Europe, Africa, and North and South America. Artichoke is also a medicinal plant; it is rich in the cynarin and ortho-phenol constituents. In the United States, artichokes are grown in the Pacific Coast area between south San Francisco and Los Angeles, mainly Monterey County.

The marketable portion of the plant, the so-called bud, is actually the immature flower head, made up of numerous closely overlaid bracts or scales (see illustration). The edible portion consists of the tender bases of the bracts, the young flowers, and the receptacle or fleshy base upon which the flowers are borne. The bud can be various shapes, from round to oblong to flat, and the color can be light green to dark green, often with purple or red.

Green Globe artichoke. (Burpee Seeds)