Practical
Plants

Senecio cannabifolius

a perennial member of the Senecio genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Senecio
Life cycle
perennial
Height
2 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Although no mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus that contains a number of plants with a cumulative poisonous effect on the liver[8]. Some caution is advised.

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and stems - cooked[6][7][1]. A bitter taste should be removed by leaching the leaves or cooking them in more than one change of water[3]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant (though the part used is not specified) is anodyne, antirheumatic, contraceptive and used in the treatment of skin complaints. It stimulates the circulation[2][4]. A decoction is used in the treatment of amenorrhoea, abdominal distension and cramps, traumatic injuries, bruises and swellings[2].

Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Antirheumatic
Product or use
Contraceptive
Product or use
Skin

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Siberia.
Habitat
Mountains of N. Japan.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Make sure the compost does not dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer if they have grown sufficiently. Otherwise, grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out the following year after the last expected frosts. Division in spring[5]. Root cuttings in early spring[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in a sunny position in most moderately fertile well-drained soils[5].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  2. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩1↩2

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  4. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  7. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  8. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

    ↩

Edit this page