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Arctium minus
	Flower heads (capitula)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Arctium
Species:	A. minus
Binomial name
	Arctium minus; (Hill) Bernh. 1800 not Schkuhr 1803
Synonyms
	Synonymy Arcion minus Bubani ; Arctium chabertii Briq. & Cavill. ; Arctium conglomeratum Schur ex Nyman ; Arctium euminus Syme ; Arctium lappa Kalm 1765 not L. 1753 ; Arctium montanum Steud. ; Arctium pubens Bab. ; Bardana minor Hill ; Lappa minor Hill ; Lappa pubens (Bab.) Boreau ;

Arctium minus, commonly known as lesser burdock,^[2] little burdock, louse-bur, common burdock,^[3] button-bur, cuckoo-button,^[3] or wild rhubarb,^[4] is a biennial plant. This plant is native to Europe,^[5] but has become introduced elsewhere such as Australia, North and South America, and other places.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]

Lesser burdock produces purple flowers in its second year of growth, from July to October. Outer bracts end in hooks that are like hook-and-loop. After the flower head dries, the hooked bracts will attach to humans and animals to transport the entire seedhead.^[10]

Characteristics

Arctium minus can grow up to 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) tall^[11] and form multiple branches. It is large and bushy. Flowers are prickly and pink to lavender in color. Flower heads are about 2 cm (0.79 in) wide.^[11] The plant flowers from July through October. 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 (12 in) into the ground.^[12]^[13]

Uses

The leafstalks (a year old or younger) and flower stalks can be eaten raw or cooked. The roots are edible boiled with a change of water,^[11] though become too woody to eat in plants over a year old.^[14]