Dicoma tomentosa

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows 60 cm tall. It usually grows each year from seed. It has a woody base. The stems have a cottony coating. The leaves are narrow. They are 12-16 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The flowers are in spiny heads and are pale pink.

It is used as an anti-malarial.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in dry grasslands and seasonally dry areas.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Medicine

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Acilepis lanata Spreng. ex DC.; Dicoma gnaphaloides Mattei; Dicoma lanuginosa DC.; and others