ARCTIUM MINUS SEEDS - WILD RHUBARB - BIENNIAL - NEW IN SOUTH AFRICA

Arctium is a genus of biennial plants commonly known as burdock, family Asteraceae. Native to the Old World, several species have been widely introduced worldwide. Plants of the genus Arctium have dark green leaves that can grow up to 71 cm long. They are generally large, coarse and ovate, with the lower ones being heart-shaped. They are woolly underneath. The leafstalks are generally hollow. The prickly heads of these plants (burrs) are noted for easily catching on to fur and clothing, being the inspiration for Velcro®, thus providing an excellent mechanism for seed dispersal. The taproot of young burdock plants can be harvested and eaten as a root vegetable.           Arctium minus, commonly known as lesser burdock, burweed, louse-bur, common burdock, button-bur, cuckoo-button, or wild rhubarb is a biennial plant. It can grow up to 1.5 meters tall and form multiple branches. It is large and bushy. Flowers are prickly and pink to lavender in color. Flower heads are about 2 cm wide. The plant flowers from December to February. The flowers resemble and can be easily mistaken for thistles, but burdock can be distinguished by its extremely large (up to 50 cm) leaves and its hooked bracts. Leaves are long and ovate. Lower leaves are heart-shaped and have very wavy margins. Leaves are dark green above and woolly below. It grows an extremely deep taproot, up to 30 cm into the ground. Lesser Burdock produces purple flowers in its second year of growth. Outer bracts end in hooks that are like Velcro. After the flower head dries, the hooked bracts will attach to humans and animals in order to transport the entire seedhead.