Leaves Of A Purple Globe Artichoke Plant (cynara Cardunculus Var. Scolymus) In Afternoon Light Stock Image

The globe artichoke (cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) also known by the names French artichoke and green artichoke, is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as food. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom. The budding artichoke flower-head is a cluster of many budding small flowers (an inflorescence), together with many bracts, on an edible base. Once the buds bloom, the structure changes to a coarse, barely edible form. Another variety of the same species is the cardoon, a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean region. Both wild forms and cultivated varieties (cultivars) exist.