Cultivation of silybum marianum gaertn., a promising medicinal plant.

: Silybum marianum Gaertn., commonly known as milk thistle, seeds of which yield 'silymarine' a flavanoid, has marked antihepatotoxic properties. It is being collected in larger quantities by the pharmaceuticals. There is a great need to cultivate this plant for the sustained supply of the seeds. A package of agrotechnology of the crop is reported in this paper.