- Silybum eburneum
- Silybum marianum
- Silybum × gonzaloi
- This is an article about the true milk thistles. For another plant that is sometimes referred to as a milk thistle, see sow thistle.
The Milk thistles are plants of the genus Silybum, flowering plants of the daisy family (Asteraceae). They are native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Members of this genus grow as annual or biennial plants. They have large, disc-shaped pink-to-purple flower heads. The leaves are toothed and thorny, as in other genera of thistle.
Only two species are currently classified in this genus: Silybum eburneum, known as the Silver Milk Thistle, Elephant Thistle, or Ivory Thistle; and Silybum marianum, the Blessed Milk Thistle, which has a large number of other common names. The two species hybridise naturally, the hybrid being known as Silybum × gonzaloi. A number of other plants have been classified in this genus in the past but have since been relocated elsewhere in the light of additional research.
By far the more widely known species is S. marianum, which is known to give some remedy for liver diseases (its extract is used in medicine under the name silymarin). It has been widely introduced outside its natural range, for example into North America, where it is considered an invasive weed.
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