Ash-coloured fleabane, Little iron weed
Cyanthillium cinereum

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

An annual erect herb with stout spreading branches. It can continue to grow from year to year from its rootstock. It is about 50-100 cm high. The stems are firm and rounded but with ribs. It sprawls over other plants. The leaves have almost no leaf stalk and they are 2 to 12 cm long and shallowly toothed. The leaves are sparse on the upper stems. Leaves are paler underneath. About 40 to 70 flowers make up the flower head. This head is 2.5 mm across. The flower bract is green and the flowers pale purple.

The plant has been used in medicine.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is widely distributed in the tropics. It grows in the lowlands. It is a common weed in open waste spaces throughout the Philippines at low and medium altitudes. In Papua New Guinea it grows to 1200 m altitude. In Kenya it grows in hot coastal areas from sea level to 1,700 m altitude. In Nepal it grows between 80-2,300 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central America, China, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marquesas, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pacific, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South America, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, USA, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The young leaves are edible cooked. They are used as a pot-herb. It is cooked with other leaves to improve the flavour. Caution: Older plants contain cyanide and would need to be well cooked. The plant is powdered and added to millet or rice to make beer and other alcoholic drinks. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

It spreads naturally by seed.

Its other names

Local names

Agas-moro, Akar semboh, Babututuri, Barangam, Buyung-buyung, Chibuzi, Daudotpala, Devasahra, Fenkumburuvaano, Gadlak biro, Garitikamma, Ghaudavalli, Gyantaka, Jhurjhure, Jonge aroi, Kadu-pyan, Kalajira, Kambulic, Kukshim, Lalang-kapan, Marjuna, Maryuna, Mouku fai pula, Mukuttipundu, Namuipe, Osari, Piripudenaba, Puvank-odanthel, Puvankodanthel, Sadodi, Sadori, Sahadevi, Sasawi langit, Scrashangalamir, Sembung bikul, Sembung kebo, Tambak-tambak, Tombak-tombak

Synonyms

Blumea chinensis (L.) DC.; Blumea esquirolii H. Lev. & Vanoit; Cacalia arguta Kuntze; Cacalia cinerea (L.) Kunte; Cacalia erigerodes Kuntze; Cacalia exilis Kuntze; Cacalia kroneana Kuntze; Cacalia linifolia Kuntze; Cacalia rotundifolia Willd.; Cacalia vialis Kuntze; Calea cordata Lour.; Cineraria glaberrima Spreng. ex DC.; Conyza chinensis L.; Conyza chinensis Lam.; Conyza cinerea L. Conyza heterophylla Lam.; Conyza incana DC.; Conyza prolifera Lam. Crassocephalum flatmense Hochst. & Steud. ex DC.; Cyanopis decurrens Zoll. & Mor.; Cyanthillium cinereum var. ovatum Isawumi; Eupatorium arboreum Reinw. ex de Vriese; Eupatorium myosotifolium Jacq.; Pteronia tomentosa Lour.; Seneciodes cinereum (L.) Kuntze ex Kuntze; Serratula cinerea (L.) Roxb.; Vernonia abbreviata DC.; Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less.; Vernonia exilis Miq.; Vernonia fasciculata Blume; Vernonia kroneana Miq.; Vernonia vialis DC.; Vernonia scandens Ridley;