CARDOON, Cynara Cardunculus (family Compositae), a perennial plant from the south of Europe and Barbary, a near relation of the artichoke. The edible part, the chard, is composed of the blanched and crisp stalks of the inner leaves. Besides the common and Spanish cardoons, there are the prickly-leaved Tours cardoon, the red-stemmed cardoon, and the Paris car doon, all of superior quality, the Paris being the largest and tender. The species has been introduced into South America and has spread over great areas of the Pampas. The common arti choke is also used for the production of chard.