Arctium minus
Arctium minus
Safety & Hazards
Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this plant, some caution is advised due to the following report for the closely related A. lappa[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ]. Care should be taken if harvesting the seed in any quantity since tiny hairs from the seeds can be inhaled and these are toxic[ 205 Title Hemerocallis. Day Lilies. Publication Author Erhardt. W. Publisher Batsford. Year 1992 ISBN 0-7134-7065-8 Description A comprehensive book on the species with a short section on their uses. ].
Botanical Description
Arctium minus is a herbaceous, biennial plant that can grow up to 2 metres tall when flowering. The plant produces a rosette of basal leaves and a deep, stout taproot in its first year of growth, sending up a tall flowering stem in its second year. Burdock is a very important medicinal herb in both Eastern and Western traditions - the main species used in Arctium lappa, but this plant has similar properties. The plant is also sometimes harvested from the wild for use as a food and source of fibre for paper. The plant has been spread through human agency to many temperate areas of the globe, including Australia and N. America.