Chinese sawwort
Serratula chinensis
Family: Asteraceae
What it is like
A stout herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 70-100 cm high. It has short stout rootstocks. These have fleshy spindle shaped roots and a ring of leaves near the ground. The leaves on the stems are sword shaped and 9-15 cm long by 4-7 cm wide. They taper to the tip and have a bristle. The base is wedge shaped and forms wings at the leaf stalk. The flowers are purple-red. They are tube shaped.
Where it is found
It grows in the warm temperate places in China. It is in mountainous regions.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China
How it is used for food
The young shoots are eaten. The fleshy roots are eaten.
Edible parts
Leaves, roots