Linn.Family: Compositae; Asteraceae.
Habitat: Waste places throughout India, up to elevation of 2,400 m.
English: Milk Thistle (a confusing synonym. Silybum marianum has been equated with Milk Thistle.)Folk: Duudhi, Dodaka, Dudhaali.Action: Galactagogue, febrifuge, sedative, vermifuge. Used in indigestion and in the treatment of diseases of the liver. An ointment is made from the decoction for wounds and ulcers.
The leaves contain luteolin, luteolin- 7-O-glucoside; hydroxycoumarins, cichoriin and scopoletin. Apigenin-7-O- glucoside was also obtained from the leaves and stems. Young leaves are reported to contain 4.1 mg/100 g of vitamin C.