cardoon, (Cynara cardunculus), thistlelike perennial herb of the family Asteraceae, native to southern Europe and North Africa, where it is used as a vegetable. Its blanched inner leaves and stalk (called the chard, though not to be confused with Swiss chard, or leaf beet) and thick main roots are usually boiled, seasoned, and served chilled in salads.
Besides common and Spanish cardoons, there are also prickly-leaved Tours cardoons, red-stemmed cardoons, and Paris cardoons, these latter being the largest and most tender. The species was introduced into South America and has gradually spread over great areas of the pampas.