This species is closely related to Emilia sonchifolia and Emilia prenanthoidea, and has been confused with them in the literature. It is likely to have similar, if not identical, uses to those species[, ].

Common Name:

General Information

Emilia lisowskiana is an erect, annual plant growing up to 90cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Cameroon and Central African Republic, south to Angola and Zambia.

Habitat

Dense, usually secondary forest, forest margins and plantations (e.g. banana, oil palm); at elevations up to 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.75 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is considered an obnoxious weed in pineapple plantations as it is an alternative host of the nematode Pratylenchus brachyurus[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[]. They are occasionally eaten as a vegetable, either fresh in salads or cooked[].

Medicinal

The leaves are antiabortifacient, antiinflammatory, febrifuge, laxative and ophthalmic[]. They are used in the treatment of a wide range of conditions, particularly externally to treat a wide range of skin problems and eye disorders. Taken internally, the macerated leaves are used to treat heart problems, fevers, vertigo, epilepsy and menstrual problems[].
The leaf sap is used to treat all kinds of skin troubles such as breast abcesses, ulcers caused by yaws, leprous affections, mange, lice and ringworm. The crushed leaves, mixed with copper filings, are used to dress ulcers[]. Other conditions treated with the plant include hernia, backache, syphilis, gonorrhoea, sore throat, convulsions and enlarged spleen[].

Toxic pyrrolyzidine alkaloids and flavonoids have been isolated from other Emilia species. Fresh leaf juice, methanolic and aqueous extracts of the related species Emilia sonchifolia and Emilia prenanthoidea have shown antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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