THE WINGED THISTLE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10209, 10 April 1911, Page 5

THE WINGED THISTLE.

AS A FODDER PLANT. j The following note on the possibili- i ties of the winged thisile as a fodder ! plant is supplied by the Director of j Fk'Ms and lCyjieiiu: w:t«l Fapi's:— I 'llie tiiie winged thistle (Carduut? ' pyenocephalu.;:) is plentiful through-' out New Zealand, but is usually confined to waste places and grazingarsas.' In portions ,of tho depleted areas in Central Otago and the Mac- i kenzie Country it const)hitcs a considerable and valuable food for stock, especially sheep, when no other vegetation is available; and it undoubtedly lias a high value under such conditions. Its cultivation as a fodder plant could not be advocated except on such country, and even there it would be displacing plants of much greater nutritive value which could otherwise occupy the same ground. Tt must he remembered that it lasts for only a portion of the year. The winged thistle must not be confused with the star thistle (Centaurea caleitrapa) or the yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), both of which are absolutely useless, the former being especially undesirable, as it is armed with long, stiff, spines, which inflict nasty festering wounds. In the South Island, however, the name star thistle is almost universally applied to the true winged thistle.