Common groundsel
Senecio vulgaris

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A herb. It is an annual plant. The plant grows to 15-40 cm high. Stems may branch in an irregular fashion. The leaves which form a ring at the base have leaf stalks. The leaves on the stems do not have stalks. They sometimes clasp the stem. They are 5-7.5 cm long. The leaves are fleshy and lobed. There are irregular teeth around the edge. The flower is at the top or in the axils of leaves near the top. The flower heads are in dense clusters. The flowers are yellow.

There are over 1000 Senecio species. It is used in medicine.

Where it is found

It grows in temperate places. In China it grows between 300-2,300 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Alaska, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary Is., Caucasus, Chile, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Crete, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe (country/location of origin), Falklands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Luxembourg, Manchuria, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, North America, Norway, Pacific, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South America, Russia, Siberia, Sicily, Sinai, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Taiwan, Tasmania, Tibet, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, West Indies, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

CAUTION: It can cause diarrhoea and vomiting. The leaves are used in stews and soups. They are boiled and then cooked in oil.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Gyabzhar, Hierba cana, Kanaryaotu, Mancialebbri, Nilhue chico, Senecio anual, Starcek obecny, Sutluce

Synonyms

Jacobaea vulgaris (L.) Claus;