Artichoke

Artichoke Thistle: Cynara cardunculus

[A Roman scholar, Pliny,] says that they were cultivated for their medicinal value, and the leaves in particular have been used in traditional medicine for chronic liver and gall bladder diseases, jaundice, hepatitis, arteriosclerosis, late-onset diabetes in its early stages and as a diuretic as well as a digestive aid. They can help disperse stones in the internal organs and are believed to be good for rheumatism. The Romans used to eat the stalks in salads, and even today the Italians sometimes eat them after boiling by just dipping them in olive oil.