Among the better known species in this genus include:
Cynara cardunculus is the cardoon, artichoke thistle, or wild artichoke. The stems of cultivated varieties are used as food around the Mediterranean. It is also the source of a coagulant used as an alternative to
rennet in the manufacture of
cheese, with the advantage that the cheese is then fully suitable for
vegetarians; many southern
European cheeses are traditionally made in this way. The more commonly eaten globe artichoke is usually considered to be an ancient
cultigen of this plant. Cardoon is an
invasive species in
United States,
Argentina, and
Australia.
Cynara humilis is a wild thistle of southern Europe and north
Africa which can be used in cheesemaking like C. cardunculus.[3]
Cynara scolymus (syn. C. cardunculus var. scolymus) is the common edible
globe artichoke. It differs from C. cardunculus in that the leaf lobes and inner bracts of involucre are less spiny.
C. cardunculus is being developed as a new
bioenergy crop in the Mediterranean because of its high
biomass and seed oil yields even under harsh conditions.[6][7]
Species
The genus consists of the following species:[1][8]
Cynara scolymus (syn. C. cardunculus var. scolymus) -
artichoke - area of origins unclear but probably
Mediterranean; widely cultivated and naturalized