Difference Between Artichoke and Milk Thistle

1. Difference of blades

The basal leaves of artichoke are rosette-shaped, and the stems and leaves below are all broadly lanceolate or oblong, about 1 meter long and 50 centimeters wide, with long petioles. The middle and upper stems and leaves gradually become smaller and sessile. The leaves at the top next to the inflorescence are linear or oblong. All leaves are herbaceous, green above and grayish white below.

Milk thistle also has rosette-shaped basal leaves, and the stems and leaves below are oblanceolate or elliptical, which are smaller than the former, about 50 cm long and 30 cm wide. They also become smaller in the middle and above, and the top one is lanceolate. All leaves are the same color on both sides, all green with white spots.

2. Fruit Difference

The artichoke fruit is an oblong achene with white pappus, up to 3.6 cm long and without a fruit margin.

The fruit of milk thistle is also an achene, which is oblong or oblong, brown with dark brown spots, and has a fruit margin at the top, which is entire and has no serrations.