~ WATERS EDGE ~
A noxious weed to Kansas, this Bull Thistle has had many uses in the past......
"Native Americans drank a warm tea of the roots to aid digestion and used the steam to treat muscle stiffness and rheumatism. A tea of the leaves was taken for neuralgia. The roots were also used to treat stomach cramps and were eaten as a food source. The fresh flowers were chewed to cover up the taste of medicines and the achene bristles were used as the tail for blow darts."
Uploaded on July 30, 2014