Artichoke
Artichoke, a name applied to two different plants. The globe, or French, artichoke, which is grown for its edible flower heads, is a perennial plant that grows from three to four feet (90 to 120 cm) high. It is native to southern Europe and northern Africa. The flower head is about two to three inches (5 to 7.5 cm) in diameter and is eaten when it is immature. Globe artichokes are used as fresh or canned vegetables. In the United States, they are grown commercially only in southern California.
The artichoke has prickly leaves and edible flower buds.The Jerusalem artichoke is a sunflower that produces edible underground tubers resembling potatoes. It grows to a height of up to 10 feet (3 m) and has yellow flowers and hairy lance-shaped leaves. The tubers have a nutlike flavor and are eaten raw, boiled, or roasted.
Artichokes belong to the composite family, Compositae. The globe artichoke is Cynara scolymus; the Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus.