Early tartary potherb
Hemisteptia lyrata

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A herb. The stems are 40-100 cm tall. They have lines along them and are often covered with long hairs. The lower leaves are thin and with a white covering underneath. The leaves are broadly oval and 7-21 cm long with fan shaped leaflets. There are 7 or 8 side pairs and one at the end which is larger and triangle shaped. There can be several flower heads with a purple tinge.

There is one Hemisteptia species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows as an annual in spring. In Taiwan it grows from sea level to about 800 m altitude. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The young plant has the white covering rubbed and washed of and then it is boiled with cracked cereals.

It is an emergency or famine food.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Wuoguoguoha

Synonyms

Cirsium lyraum Bunge; Hemistepta carthamodes (Buchanan-Hamilton) O, Kuntze; Saussurea carthamoides Buchanan-Hamilton ex DC.; Saussurea affinis Sprengel;