Burdock
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Genus: Arctium
Species
A. lappa A. minus A. minus nemorosum A. pubens A. tomentosum

Burdock is any of a group of biennial thistles in the genus Arctium, family Asteraceae. Common Burdock (A. minus) grows wild throughout most of North America, Europe and Asia. A plate of vegetables Vegetable is a culinary term which generally refers to an edible part of a plant. ... Burdock has several meanings: Burdock, a group of thistles Greater burdock, the garden plant Burdock (Dragon Ball), a character in Dragon Ball Z Burdak, a family name Category: ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (486x740, 61 KB) Arctium tomentosum Source: http://runeberg. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class: this name is formed by replacing the termination -aceae in the name Magnoliaceae by the termination -opsida (Art 16 of the ICBN). ... Families Alseuosmiaceae Argophyllaceae Asteraceae - Daisies Calyceraceae Campanulaceae (incl. ... Diversity About 1500 genera and 23,000 species Type Genus Aster L. Subfamilies Barnadesioideae Cichorioideae Tribe Arctotidae Tribe Cardueae Tribe Eremothamneae Tribe Lactuceae Tribe Liabeae Tribe Mutisieae Tribe Tarchonantheae Tribe Vernonieae Asteroideae Tribe Anthemideae Tribe Astereae Tribe Calenduleae Tribe Eupatorieae Tribe Gnaphalieae Tribe Helenieae Tribe Heliantheae Tribe Inuleae Tribe Plucheae... Inflorescence Greater burdock (Arctium lappa) is a biannual plant of the Asteraceae family, cultivated in gardens for its root used as a vegetable. ... Look up Biennial in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Biennial is a term referring to a period of two years, much in the same way centennial refers to 100 years. ... Milk thistle flowerhead Thistledown a method of seed dispersal by wind. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ...

Plants of the genus Arctium have dark green leaves that can grow up to 18" (45 cm) long. They are generally large, coarse and ovate, with the lower ones being heart-shaped. They are woolly underneath. The leafstalks are generally hollow. Arctium species generally flower from July through October.

The prickly heads of these Old World plants are noted for easily catching on to fur and clothing, thus providing an excellent mechanism for seed dispersal. Burrs cause local irritation and can possibly cause intestinal hairballs in pets. However, most animals avoid ingesting these plants. The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans, Asians, and Africans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus; it includes Europe, Asia, and Africa (collectively known as Africa-Eurasia), plus surrounding islands. ... Biological dispersal refers to those processes by which a species maintains or expands the distribution of a population. ... A burr is a seed or dry fruit in which the seeds bear hooks or teeth which attach themselves to fur or clothing of passing animals or people. ...

A large number of species have been placed in genus Arctium at one time or another, but most of them are now classified in the related genus Cousinia. The precise limits between Arctium and Cousinia are hard to define; there is an exact correlation between their molecular phylogeny. The burdocks are sometimes confused with the cockleburs (genus Xanthium) and rhubarb (genus Rheum). Species Cousinia is a genus in plant family Asteraceae. ... In biology, phylogenetics (Greek: phylon = tribe, race and genetikos = relative to birth, from genesis = birth) is the study of evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms (e. ... Species See text The Cockleburs are flowering plants of the genus Xanthium, part of the daisy family Asteraceae. ... Species About 60, including: R. nobile R. palmatum For other uses see Rhubarb (disambiguation) Rhubarb is a perennial plant that grows from thick short rhizomes, comprising the genus Rheum. ... Rhubarb is a perennial plant that grows from thick, short rhizomes, comprising the genus Rheum. ...

The roots of burdock, among other plants, are eaten by the larva of the Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli). The plant is used as a food plant by other Lepidoptera including Brown-tail, Coleophora paripennella, Coleophora peribenanderi, The Gothic, Lime-speck Pug and Scalloped Hazel. ROOT is an object-oriented software package developed by CERN. It was originally designed for particle physics data analysis and contains several features specific to this field, but it is also commonly used in other applications such as astronomy and data mining. ... A larval insect A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... Binomial name Hepialus humuli (Linnaeus, 1758) The Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli), also known as the Ghost Swift, is a moth of the family Hepialidae. ... The order Lepidoptera is the second most speciose order in the class Insecta and includes the butterflies, moths and skippers. ... Binomial name Euproctis chrysorrhoea Linnaeus, 1758 The Brown-tail (Euproctis chrysorrhoea) is a moth of the family Lymantriidae. ... Coleophora is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae with over 750 described species. ... Coleophora is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae with over 750 described species. ... Binomial name Naenia typica Linnaeus, 1758 The Gothic (Naenia typica) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. ... Binomial name Eupithecia centaureata Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 The Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. ... Binomial name Odontopera bidentata Clerck, 1759 The Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. ...

The green, above-ground portions may cause contact dermatitis in humans due to the lactones the plant produces. Contact dermatitis is a term for a skin reaction resulting from exposure to allergens or irritants. ... A lactone is a cyclic ester in organic chemistry. ...

Uses

Food and drink

The taproot of young burdock plants can be harvested and eaten as a root vegetable. While generally out of favor in modern European cuisine, it remains popular in Asia, particularly in Japan where A. lappa (Greater burdock) is called gobo (牛蒡 or ゴボウ). Plants are cultivated for their slender roots, which can grow about 1 meter long and 2 cm across. Burdock root is very crisp and has a sweet, mild, and pungent flavor with a little muddy harshness that can be reduced by soaking julienne/shredded roots in water for five to ten minutes. Immature flower stalks may also be harvested in late spring, before flowers appear; the taste resembles that of artichoke, to which the burdock is related. A popular Japanese dish is kinpira gobo, julienned or shredded burdock root and carrot, braised with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and/or sake, and sesame oil; another is burdock makizushi (sushi filled with pickled burdock root rather than fish; the burdock root is often artificially colored orange to resemble a carrot). In the second half of the 20th century, burdock achieved international recognition for its culinary use due to the increasing popularity of the macrobiotic diet, which advocates its consumption. It also contains a fair amount of gobo dietary fiber (GDF, 6g per 100g), calcium, potassium, amino acids,[1] and is also low calorie. It also contains polyphenols that causes darkened surface and muddy harshness by formation of tannin-iron complexes though the harshness shows excellent harmonization with pork in miso soup (tonjiru) and Japanese-style pilaf (takikomi gohan). The dandelions taproot, quite apparent in this drawing, renders this plant very difficult to uproot – the plant itself gives way, but the root stays in the ground and may sprout again. ... Root vegetables are underground plant parts used as vegetables. ... Cuisine (from French cuisine, cooking; culinary art; kitchen; ultimately from Latin coquere, to cook) is a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a specific culture. ... Inflorescence Greater burdock (Arctium lappa) is a biannual plant of the Asteraceae family, cultivated in gardens for its root used as a vegetable. ... Julienne is a village and commune of the Charente département, in France. ... Artichoke may refer to any of three types of vegetables. ... Kinpira (Japanese: 金平) is a Japanese cooking style that can be summarised as a technique of sauté and simmer. It is commonly used to cook root vegetables such as carrot, burdock and lotus root, seaweeds such as arame and hiziki and other foods including tofu and seitan. ... Binomial name L. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Soy sauce (US) or soya sauce is a fermented sauce made from soybeans (soya beans), roasted grain, water and salt. ... Magnification of grains of sugar, showing their monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... Mirin (kanji: 味醂; hiragana: みりん) is an essential condiment used in Japanese cuisine, with a slightly sweet taste. ... Sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine. ... Sesame oil (also known as gingelly oil and til oil) is an organic oil derived from sesames, noted to have the distinctive aroma and taste of its parent seed. ... Many types of sushi ready to be eaten. ... Many types of sushi ready to be eaten. ... Macrobiotics, from the Greek macro (large, long) + bios (life), is a dietary regimen that involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other local foodstuffs (vegetables, beans, etc. ... Dietary fibers are the indigestible portion of plant foods that move food through the digestive system, absorbing water, making defecation easier. ... Polyphenols are a group of chemical substances found in plants, characterized by the presence of more than one phenol group per molecule. ... Tannins are astringent, bitter-tasting plant polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins. ... Two halves of pork being delivered Pork is the culinary name for meat from pigs. ... Tonjiru or Butajiru (豚汁) - both literally mean pig/pork soup - is a Japanese soup with made with pork and miso paste. ... Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi, pulao rice, and cucumber raita Pilaf, (Turkish pilav, Azeri plov, Bosnian pilav, Serbian pilav, Armenian pilav, Romanian pilaf, Persian polow, Afghanistan palow, Greek πιλάφι, India/Pakistan pulav/ pulao, Uzbek and Russian plov, Kazakh palaw) also spelled pilau, perloo, perlau, plaw, pilaw, and pilaff is a Middle Eastern and... Takikomi gohan (炊き込みご飯) is a Japanese rice dish seasoned with soy sauce and boiled with various ingredients. ...

Dandelion and burdock is a soft drink that has long been popular in the United Kingdom. Burdock is believed to be a galactagogue, a substance that increases lactation. Dandelion and burdock is a traditional British soft drink. ... A soft drink is a drink that contains no alcohol. ... A galactagogue is a substance, typically a herb, that increases lactation. ... Kittens nursing Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands, the process of providing that milk to the young, and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. ...

Traditional medicine

Folk herbalists consider dried burdock to be a diuretic, diaphoretic, and a blood purifying agent. The seeds of A. lappa are used in traditional Chinese medicine, under the name niupangzi (Chinese: 牛蒡子; Pinyin: niúpángzi; Some dictionaries list the Chinese as just 牛蒡 niúbàng.) A diuretic (colloquially called a water pill) is any drug or herb that elevates the rate of bodily urine excretion (diuresis). ... A diaphoretic is a drug which increases perspiration. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ...

Burdock is a traditional medicinal herb that is used for many ailments. Burdock root oil extract, also called Bur oil, is popular in Europe as a scalp treatment applied to improve hair strength, shine and body, help reverse scalp conditions such as dandruff, and combat hair loss. Modern studies ^{[citation needed]} indicate that Burdock root oil extract is rich in phytosterols and essential fatty acids (including rare long-chain EFAs), the nutrients required to maintain a healthy scalp and promote natural hair growth. It combines an immediate relieving effect with nutritional support of normal functions of sebaceous glands and hair follicles. It has been suggested that Medical herbalism be merged into this article or section. ... Dandruff (also called scurf and historically termed Pityriasis capitis) is due to the excessive shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp. ... Baldness (formally alopecia) is the state of lacking hair where it usually would grow, especially on the head. ... β-sitosterol Phytosterols (also called plant sterols) are a group of steroid alcohol, phytochemicals naturally occurring in plants. ... In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid (or organic acid), often with a long aliphatic tail (long chains), either saturated or unsaturated. ... The sebaceous glands are glands found in the skin of mammals. ... A hair follicle is part of the skin that grows hair by packing old cells together. ...

According to some European herbalists, combining Burdock root oil with a Nettle root oil and massaging these two oils into the scalp every day has a greater effect than Bur oil alone. ^{[citation needed]}

Burdock and Velcro

After taking his dog for a walk one day in the early 1940s, George de Mestral, a Swiss inventor, became curious about the seeds of the burdock plant that had attached themselves to his clothes and to the dog's fur. Under a microscope, he looked closely at the hook-and-loop system that the seeds use to hitchhike on passing animals aiding seed dispersal, and he realised that the same approach could be used to join other things together. The result was Velcro. George de Mestral (June 19, 1907 - February 8, 1990) was an electrical engineer who invented Velcro. ... Velcro: hooks (left) and loops (right). ...

Tolstoy

The great Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, wrote in his journal, 1896, about a tiny shoot of burdock he saw in a ploughed field, “black from dust but still alive and red in the center … It makes me want to write. It asserts life to the end, and alone in the midst of the whole field, somehow or other had asserted it.” Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (September 9 [O.S. August 28] 1828 – November 20 [O.S. November 7] 1910) (Russian: , IPA:  ), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer – novelist, essayist, dramatist and philosopher – as well as pacifist Christian anarchist and educational reformer. ... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ...

Species

• Arctium lappa : Greater Burdock, Gobo
• Arctium minus : Lesser Burdock, Burweed, Louse-bur, Button-bur
  • Arctium minus nemorosum (=Arctium vulgare) : Woodland Burdock, Wood Burdock
• Arctium pubens : Common Burdock
• Arctium tomentosum : Downy Burdock, Woolly Burdock

Inflorescence Greater burdock (Arctium lappa) is a biannual plant of the Asteraceae family, cultivated in gardens for its root used as a vegetable. ... The Lesser Burdock, Lappa minor, is a biennial thistle, also known as Burweed, Louse-bur, and Button-bur. ...

Safety

Because the roots of burdock closely resemble those of belladonna or deadly nightshade ( Atropa belladonna ), there is a risk that burdock preparations may be contaminated with these potentially dangerous herbs. Be sure to buy products from established companies with good reputations. Do not gather burdock in the wild unless you know what you are doing.