Artichoke Stock Image

The globe artichoke Cynara cardunculus scolymus is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as a 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.