Sonchus schweinfurthii
Oliv. & Hiern.
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Description
A herb. It is erect and can grow for several years. It grows 1-1.5 m tall. The taproot is slightly woody. It has a single stem and branches. The stem is hollow and it has ridges along it. The leave stick upwards and are thinly leathery. The leaves on the stem are 36 cm long by 3 cm wide. The upper leaves clasp the stem and are more narrow.
Edible Uses
The leaves are eaten as a vegetable.
Traditional Uses
Caution: It is bitter due to Sesquiterpene lactones.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Known Hazards
The plant is bitter due to sesquiterpene lactones.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows in seasonally or permanently wet soils.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, East Africa, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinée, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Notes
There are about 60 Sonchus species.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Achak, Mshunga, Mshunga-pwapwa, Nsombya, Toriba
References (9)
- Etkin, N.L. (Ed.), 1994, Eating on the Wild Side, Univ. of Arizona. p 51
- Flora Zambesiaca. http://apps.kew.org/efloras
- Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 77
- Harkonen, M. & Vainio-Mattila, K., 1998, Some examples of Natural Products in the Eastern Arc Mountains. Journal of East African Natural History 87:265-278
- Johns, T., and Kokwaro, J.O., 1991, Food Plants of the Luo of Siayo District, Kenya. Economic Botany 45(1), pp 103-113
Show all 9 references Hide references
- Johns, T., Mhoro, E. B. and Sanaya, P., 1996, Food Plants and Masticants of the Batemi of Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Economic Botany, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 115-121
- Mutie, F. M., et al, 2023, Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches. Plants 2023, 12, 1145
- Vainio-Mattila, K., 2000, Wild vegetables used by the Sambaa in the Usumbara Mountains, NE Tanzania. Ann. Bot. Fennici 37:57-67
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
