Arctium lappa, commonly called greater burdock,[ edible burdock,][ lappa,][ beggar's buttons,][ thorny burr, or happy major][ Flora of North America Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 169 Great burdock, grande bardane, Arctium lappa Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 816. 1753. ][ Atlas of Living Australia, Arctium lappa L.][ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map][ Altervista Flora Italiana, Bardana maggiore Arctium lappa L. many photos]
Description
Greater burdock is a biennial plant, rather tall, reaching as much as .["COMMON BURDOCK, Arctium minus," Ohio Perennial and Biennial Weed Guide, Ohio State University, http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=900] It has large, alternating, wavy-edged cordiform leaves that have a long petiole and are Trichome on the underside.[ Flora of China Vol. 20-21 Page 153 牛蒡 niu bang Arctium lappa Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 816. 1753. ]
The flowers are purple and grouped in globular Flower head, united in clusters. They appear in mid-summer, from July to September.[
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Chemistry
Burdock roots contain mucilage, sulfurous acetylene compounds, polyyne and bitter guaianolide-type constituents. Seeds contain arctigenin, arctiin, and butyrolactone .
Similar species
The burdock could be confused with rhubarb, the leaves of which are toxic.
Distribution and habitat
This species is native to the temperate regions of the Old World, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, and from the British Isles through Russia, and the Middle East to India, China, Taiwan and Japan.
It is naturalized almost everywhere and is usually found in disturbed areas, especially in soil rich in humus and nitrogen, preferring full sunlight.
Ecology
The leaves of greater burdock provide food for the of some Lepidoptera, such as the thistle ermine ( Myelois circumvoluta).
Uses
The species is commonly cultivated in Japan.
Culinary
The roots are edible cooked.
The root is very crisp and has a sweet, mild, and pungent flavor with a little muddy harshness that can be reduced by soaking julienned/shredded roots in water for five to ten minutes. The harshness shows excellent harmonization with pork in miso soup (tonjiru) and takikomi gohan (a Japanese-style pilaf).
A popular Japanese dish is kinpira gobō, julienned or shredded burdock root and carrot, braised with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and/or sake, and sesame oil. Another is burdock sushi, rolled sushi filled with pickled burdock root; the burdock root is often artificially colored orange to resemble a carrot. Burdock root can also be found as a fried snack food similar in taste and texture to potato chips and is occasionally used as an ingredient in tempura dishes.
Fermentation of the root by Aspergillus oryzae is also used for making miso and rice wine in Japanese cuisine.
The tender leaf stalks can be peeled and eaten raw or cooked.
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. The root contains a fair amount of dietary fiber (GDF, 6 g per 100 g), calcium, potassium, amino acids,
Traditional medicine
Dried burdock roots ( Bardanae radix) are used in traditional medicine.[ School of Chinese Medicine database ] (; some dictionaries list the Chinese as just 牛蒡 niúbàng).
External links
