(L.) DC.
Asteraceae
Cacalia sonchifolia L.
Crassocephalum sonchifolium (L.) Less.
Cacalia glabra B.Heyne ex Wall.
Cacalia prenanthoides Sieber ex DC.
Emilia mucronata Wall.
Emilia purpurea Cass.
Emilia rigidula DC.
Emilia scabra DC.
Emilia sinica Miq.
Gynura ecalyculata DC.
Prenanthes sarmentosa Wall.
Senecio ecalyculatus Sch.Bip.
Senecio rapae F.Br.
Senecio sonchifolius Moench
Common Name: Cupid's Shaving Brush
Close-up of the flower
Photograph by: Fagg, M.
Image credit to Australian National Botanic Gardens
Close-up of the flower
Photograph by: Fagg, M.
Image credit to Australian National Botanic Gardens
Flowerhead, with ripe seeds ready to fly in foreground
Photograph by: J.M.Garg
GNU Free Documentation License
Leaves at the base of the stem
Photograph by: Satheesan.vn
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Leaves growing along the flowering stem
Photograph by: J.M.Garg
GNU Free Documentation License
General Information
Emilia sonchifolia is an erect annual plant, often producing prostrate branches from the very base, it grows around 10 - 150cm tall.
A common weed in the tropics, where it has traditional medicinal uses and also provides an edible leaf. It is occasionally cultivated for these leaves, which are frequently sold in local markets, especially in Java[
183
- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
The plant occurs as a weed in many areas of the tropics and is considered to be invasive in various Pacific Islands, countries in S. America etc[
305
- Title
- Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
- Publication
- Author
- Website
- http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
- Publisher
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]. It is not, however, generally considered to be very noxious or harmful[
418
- Title
- Ecocrop
- Publication
- Author
- Website
- http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
- Publisher
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
58
- Title
- Flora of Japan. (English translation)
- Publication
- Author
- Ohwi. G.
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Institution
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
,
200
- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
Pantropical, probably originating in southern Asia
Habitat
Waste ground in C. and S. Japan[
58
- Title
- Flora of Japan. (English translation)
- Publication
- Author
- Ohwi. G.
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Institution
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
]. Moist areas and uncultivated ground at elevations up to 1.700 metres in Nepal[
272
- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
]. A very common weed of field crops, occurring at elevations between sea level and 3,000 metres[
428
- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 65
- Publication
- Author
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1978
- ISBN
- Description
- An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains parts of the Flora of Panama.
].
Properties
Weed Potential | Yes |
Edibility Rating | |
Medicinal Rating | |
Habit | Annual |
Height | 0.40 m |
Pollinators | Insects |
Self-fertile | Yes |
Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 3,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 10 - 40°c[
418
- Title
- Ecocrop
- Publication
- Author
- Website
- http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
- Publisher
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 500 - 4,000mm[
418
- Title
- Ecocrop
- Publication
- Author
- Website
- http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
- Publisher
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
An easily grown plant[
1
- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
], succeeding in most well-drained soils in a sunny position[
200
- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plants flower better when growing on nutritionally poor soils, producing much more lush growth at the expense of flowering on rich soils[
200
- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plants are drought tolerant once established[
200
- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 4.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4 - 7[
418
- Title
- Ecocrop
- Publication
- Author
- Website
- http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
- Publisher
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
A deep-rooting plant[
418
- Title
- Ecocrop
- Publication
- Author
- Website
- http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
- Publisher
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
Slugs can be a problem with this plant in a wet season[
200
- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked[
2
- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
46
- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
61
- Title
- A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
- Publication
- Author
- Usher. G.
- Publisher
- Constable
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0094579202
- Description
- Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
105
- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
,
177
- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
272
- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
]. A slightly bitter flavour[
418
- Title
- Ecocrop
- Publication
- Author
- Website
- http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
- Publisher
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Used as a vegetable and as a side dish with rice[
272
- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
,
418
- Title
- Ecocrop
- Publication
- Author
- Website
- http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
- Publisher
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. The whole plant, including the flowers, can be eaten raw or cooked[
144
- Title
- Wild Food in Australia.
- Publication
- Author
- Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
- Publisher
- Fontana
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- 0-00-634436-4
- Description
- A very good pocket guide.
]. The leaves are usually harvested and used before the plant flowers[
183
- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. A nutritional analysis of the leaves is available[
218
- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
The powdered plant is used to prepare a cake fermented with yeast (called marcha in Nepal) from which liquor is distilled[
272
- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
].
Medicinal
A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of dysentery[
218
- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
]. The juice of the leaves is used in treating eye inflammations, night blindness, cuts and wounds and sore ears[
240
- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
272
- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
].
The plant is astringent, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge and sudorific[
147
- Title
- A Barefoot Doctors Manual.
- Publication
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Running Press; Philadelphica.
- Year
- 1977
- ISBN
- 0-914294-92-X
- Description
- A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
,
218
- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
,
272
- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
]. It is used in the treatment of infantile tympanites and bowel complaints[
240
- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is used, in combination with Justicia secunda, to lower blood sugar levels[
348
- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
The juice of the root is used in the treatment of diarrhoea[
240
- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
272
- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
].
The flower heads are chewed and kept in the mouth for about 10 minutes to protect teeth from decay[
272
- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
].
The plant contains ursolic acid, kaempferol galactoside, quercitrine, rutoside, and senecionine pyrrolizidine alkaloids[
348
- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow in situ
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-11-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Emilia+sonchifolia>
Add a Comment:
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.