Dragon's tongue, Chinese sauropus
Sauropus changianus

Family: Phyllanthaceae

What it is like

A low woody shrub. It grows 15-30 cm high. The branches are soft. It produces flowers along the stems. The annual growth is 5-6 cm long. There are 5-7 leaves on the annual growth. The leaves are broadly sword shaped and 7-17 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The flowers are small. They are in clusters on 3 or 4 year old growth. The male flowers are green and the female flowers are red. The fruit is a capsule about 5 mm across.

They have also been put in the family Euphorbiaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China

How it is used for food

The leaves and young shoots are used to prepare pork broth. The dried material is used for making tea.

Edible parts

Leaves, leaves - tea

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Sauropus rostratus auctt. non Miquel;