Common Name: African Lettuce

General Information

Launaea taraxacifolia is a perennial plant producing a rosette of basal leaves and erect stems growing up to 1.3 metres tall from a woody rhizome[]. The plant can spread by means of underground rhizomes[].
A widely used leaf crop in Africa, where it is commonly gathered from the wild for local use. The plant is also sometimes cultivated as a leaf crop in Africa, the leaves often being sold in both local and regional markets as cooked or rolled-up balls prepared for use[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Mauritania, Senegal, Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania

Habitat

Fields, fallows and abandoned areas[]. Frequently found in disturbed localities in open savannah, it is also occasionally recorded from undisturbed localities in grassland with scattered trees at elevations from 1,300 - 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[]. Prefers a relatively moist soil[]. Succeeds in poor soils with a low water table[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
The plant is a weed within its native range. It can spread freely by the rhizomes in some circumstances[, ]. In addition, the light seeds are dispersed by wind - each plant produces thousands of seeds, though germination rates are low[].
Young plants initially form a rosette of leaves, with thick roots developing later on in the season. In cultivation these roots are left in the ground during the dry season. From the onset of the rainy season, new rosettes are formed along the roots[].
The leaves can be harvested all year round[].
Seed can be collected about 3 - 4 months after sowing[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[]. They can be eaten fresh as a salad or cooked in soups and sauces[]. The leaves of wild forms are tough and very bitter, but cultivated forms are more tender and less bitter[]. The basal, rosette leaves are most liked as a vegetable in the early stages of growth when they are not yet very bitter[]. A flowering shoot develops from the rosette, and the stem leaves are less appreciated because they are very bitter, especially as they get older[].

The mineral content of the leaves is relatively high (21·8%-1), and the plant is burnt to ash in parts of Africa in order to make a vegetable salt[].

Medicinal

The plant is used as a treatment against vomiting, teeth pain and diabetes[]. The boiled leaves are applied to the head of a newly-born baby if the bones have not knit together properly[]. The limbs of backward children are rubbed with the leaves to induce them to walk[].
A decoction of the leaves is used to treat wounds[]. The leaves, mixed with fine ash, are rubbed onto the sores of yaws[].

Other Uses

Studies have shown that the plant has potential nematicidal properties[].

Propagation

Seed -
Division of rhizomes. The roots are cut into 10cm lengths and these are planted horizontally and entirely covered with soil[].

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