This review covers 30 years on cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.); a perennial plant adapted to the Mediterranean climate conditions of low rainfall and hot dry summers. Its potential as a non-food agricultural crop for set-aside lands and the excellent biomass production created an enthusiastic research interest in this plant and its uses.

The review starts with the plant morphology, ecology and development, followed by the agricultural aspects related to crop establishment and harvest, giving the available data on the production yields by biomass component, from small research plots to large-scale plantations. The biomass components are characterized regarding anatomical, chemical and physical properties in view of their use as feedstock for the different applications. The use of Cynara biomass for energy was assessed according to its fuel properties and performance under the various processes e.g. combustion, gasification and pyrolysis. Cynara seeds contain a linoleic acid rich oil that may be processed into a biodiesel with properties similar to commercial diesel. The production of biomethane and of ethanol were also studied with promising results. Cynara was tested as a fibre source for production of pulp and paper using different delignification processes (kraft, soda, ASAM and organosolvs) with good pulp yields and adequate physical and mechanical properties. More recently, the phytochemical and pharmacological activities of different compounds extracted from Cynara biomass are also being investigated. This plant is a good candidate to be grown in the dry lands of the Mediterranean region as a perennial field crop for multi-purposes and non-conventional uses.

这篇综述涵盖了关于菜蓟树（Cynara cardunculus L.）的30年历史；多年生植物，适应地中海气候条件，降雨量少，夏季炎热干燥。它作为非食用农作物可用于耕地的潜力以及出色的生物量生产，引起了对该植物及其用途的强烈研究兴趣。

审查首先从植物形态，生态和发展开始，然后是与农作物的建立和收获有关的农业方面，并提供了从生物量成分到小型研究区到大型人工林的可用产量数据。考虑到生物质组分用作不同应用的原料，其在解剖学，化学和物理性质方面具有特征。根据其在各种过程（例如燃烧，气化和热解）下的燃料特性和性能，评估了Cynara生物质用于能源的用途。西纳拉种子中含有富含亚油酸的油，可以将其加工成性能与市售柴油相似的生物柴油。还研究了生物甲烷和乙醇的生产，并取得了令人鼓舞的结果。Cynara被测试为使用不同脱木质素工艺（牛皮纸，苏打水，ASAM和有机溶剂）生产纸浆和纸张的纤维来源，具有良好的纸浆产量以及足够的物理和机械性能。最近，还研究了从Cynara生物质中提取的不同化合物的植物化学和药理活性。该植物是地中海地区干旱地区的多年生田间作物，非常适合多种用途和非常规用途。