Mariana mariana

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• St. Mary's thistle
• blessed milk-thistle
• milk-thistle
• Milk Thistle
• Holy Thistle
• blessed milk thistle
• bull thistle
• gundagai thistle
• lady's thistle
• variegated artichoke
• variegated thistle
• Disseld
• Marian thistle
• Mary's Thistle

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Silybum maculatum
• Mariacantha maculosa
• Silybum marianum var. albiflorum
• Mariana mariana
• Silybum intermedium
• Silybum pygmaeum
• Silybum leucanthum
• Carthamus maculatus
• Centaurea dalmatica
• Carduus marianus
• Carduus mariae
• Silybum mariae
• Silybum marianum subsp. anatolicum
• Silybum mariae var. unicolor
• Silybum marianum var. longispinum
• Cirsium maculatum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Silybum marianum, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Asterales. Finally, it is a member of the family Asteraceae and the genus Silybum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific presence across several regions in Northern Europe. Its geographical range extends to the coastal areas of Denmark and the islands of Føroya. Additionally, the species can be found growing throughout Great Britain and Ireland. The distribution also encompasses the northern territories of Norway. Collectively, these locations define the primary habitats where this medicinal plant occurs.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Silybum marianum is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse vertical gradients, occupying an extensive elevational range that spans from sea level (0 m AMSL) to high-altitude environments reaching up to 4000 m AMSL. This species demonstrates a high degree of synanthropy, frequently colonizing anthropogenic areas (Área Antrópica) such as disturbed soils, agricultural lands, and urban fringes where human activity has altered the landscape. To survive in these competitive and often disturbed habitats, the plant employs active defense mechanisms (Defense: yes), which aid in its persistence against herbivory and environmental stressors within its broad ecological niche.

Defense :

yes

Elevational range max:

4000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica

Life history

The life history of Silybum marianum is characterized by its classification as an annual plant, completing its entire developmental cycle from germination to seed production within a single growing season. As a therophyte, the plant spends its life in an active vegetative and reproductive state before dying off, typically leaving behind seeds to ensure survival through harsh conditions. It exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage as it completes its seasonal cycle. This lifecycle strategy allows the species to rapidly exploit available resources in its environment, transitioning through its growth stages to ensure successful propagation before the onset of unfavorable environmental periods.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Silybum marianum is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically classified as a forb. This terrestrial plant exhibits an erect shoot orientation and functions as a self-supporting organism rather than a climber or vine, maintaining an independent status as it does not act as a parasite or an epiphyte. In terms of stature, the plant's height is variable, ranging from a minimum of 0.3 m to a maximum of 2.5 m, with an average plant height of approximately 1.05 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2.5 m

Plant height mean:

1.05 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Silybum marianum is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. The plant exhibits a non-carnivorous nutritional strategy and does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on soil-available nutrients for its development. Its vegetative structure is defined by prominent, lobed leaves that serve as the primary site for energy production. These leaves vary significantly in size, with a minimum length of 25 cm reaching up to a maximum length of 50 cm, and a width that ranges from a minimum of 12 cm to a maximum of 25 cm, maintaining an average width of approximately 20 cm.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

lobed

Leaf length max:

50 cm

Leaf length min:

25 cm

Leaf width max:

25 cm

Leaf width mean:

20 cm

Leaf width min:

12 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Silybum marianum is primarily sexual, characterized by bisexual flowers that facilitate efficient propagation. The flowering period typically begins in July and concludes in August, featuring red-colored flowers that vary in length from 2 cm to 3.5 cm. The plant utilizes a biotic pollination syndrome, relying specifically on insects to facilitate the transfer of pollen. Once fertilized, the plant produces indehiscent fruits classified as achenes. These fruits generally measure between 0.6 cm and 0.7 cm in length, with a width ranging from 0.3 cm to 0.35 cm. Each fruit is prolific, containing between 101 and 1000 seeds. The individual seeds possess a mean mass of approximately 0.021785909 g, with values ranging from a minimum of 0.019 g to a maximum of 0.02573 g. While self-fertilization is present, the plant does not exhibit asexual reproduction. Following maturity, the seeds are distributed via an anemochorous dispersal syndrome, utilizing wind to spread the next generation.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Flower colour :

red

Flower length max:

3.5 cm

Flower length min:

2 cm

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit length max:

0.7 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.6 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Fruit width max:

0.35 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.3 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed mass max:

0.02573 g

Seed mass mean:

0.021785909 g

Seed mass min:

0.019 g

Seeds_per_fruit :

101-1000

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Silybum marianum has 4 reported plant parts identified across 30 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed, fruit, leaf, root.

Seed

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
3. Phytotherapy research : PTR
4. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences
5. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Fruit

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Fitoterapia
4. Frontiers in plant science
5. Natural product research

Leaf

1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
2. Biotechnology & genetic engineering reviews

Root

1. Fitoterapia

Chemicals

Silybum marianum has 150 reported phytochemicals identified across 30 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include SILYMARIN, Silybin, silibinin, Silydianin, Silychristin.

SILYMARIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
4. Plant disease
5. PloS one

Silybin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
4. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
5. Biomedical papers of the Medical Faculty of the University Palacky, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia

silibinin

1. Environmental toxicology and pharmacology
2. Frontiers in pharmacology
3. The AAPS journal
4. Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry
5. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Silydianin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
4. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
5. Fitoterapia

Silychristin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
4. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
5. Fitoterapia

TAXIFOLIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
3. Frontiers in neuroscience
4. Fitoterapia
5. Frontiers in pharmacology

Silybin A

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Fitoterapia
4. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
5. Journal of natural products

Isosilybin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
3. Frontiers in neuroscience
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Fitoterapia

Isosilybin A

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Fitoterapia
4. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
5. Journal of natural products

Silybin B

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Fitoterapia
4. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
5. Journal of natural products

Activities

Silybum marianum has 554 reported activities identified across 30 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Hepatoprotective, Antioxidant, Anticancer, Neuroprotective, Antimicrobial.

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Environmental toxicology and pharmacology
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. PloS one

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Environmental toxicology and pharmacology
3. Phytotherapy research : PTR
4. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences
5. Frontiers in pharmacology

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
4. Current medicinal chemistry
5. Biomedical papers of the Medical Faculty of the University Palacky, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
3. Medicine
4. Journal of the neurological sciences
5. Frontiers in neuroscience

Antimicrobial

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology
4. Ultrasonics sonochemistry
5. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
3. Medicine
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology

Antifibrotic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
3. Helminthologia
4. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic

Cardioprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current medicinal chemistry
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Frontiers in pharmacology

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology
3. Ultrasonics sonochemistry

Antifungal

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of oral biosciences
3. Ultrasonics sonochemistry

Medicinal Uses

Silybum marianum has 131 reported medicinal uses identified across 30 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include liver diseases, cancer, oxidative stress, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations