Common Name:

General Information

Sonchus luxurians is a robust, erect or trailing, herbaceous perennial plant usually growing from 1 - 2 metres tall but exceptionally up to 6 metres. A succulent plant with much white latex, the older stems are hollow and often become woody at the base[, ].
The leaves are harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. They are sometimes sold in local markets[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania.

Habitat

Roadsides in highland areas, on mountain sides, grasslands, at elevations from 1,500 - 2,000 metres in Tanzania[]. Thickets or dense vegetation on forest margins or on forest stream banks, also in disturbed ground[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[]. They are chopped and cooked alone or can be mixed with other vegetables such
as Solanum, Bidens or Galinsoga; coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are added and then they are eaten alone or along with a staple food such as ugali or rice[].

Medicinal

The leaves are pounded and soaked in cold water. The infusion is used as a remedy for fever and stomach upsets[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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