Gynara cardunculus commonly called wild cardoon is a stout herbaceous perennial plant growing 0.8 to 1.5 m tall, with deeply lobed and heavily spined green to grey green tomentose(hairy or downy) leaves up to 50 cm long, with yellow spines  up to 3.5 cm long. The  flowers are violet purple, produced  in  a large globose massively spined capitulum up to 6 cm in diameter.

sA plant related to the thistle with enlarged flower heads eaten as a vegetable while immature.Leaves are dull green color.Flowers are arranged in a big capitulum

Gynara scolmus, artichoke in enlish name or artichaut in French, is used to stimulate the flow of bile from the liver. This is thought to help reduce symptoms of heartburn and alcohol hangover. Some people use artchoke for treating snakebites, preventing gallstones, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, to increase urine flow, and as a tonic or stimulant

Artichoke bottom is a fleshy receptacle at the bottom of an artichoke flower eaten as a vegetable. Artichoke heart is the edible base prepared by removing the outer leaves and the inedible choke covering it