Jersey Cudweed
Helichrysum luteoalbum

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A small herb. It can grow a few cm or 60 cm high. The whole plant has a white covering. The leaves are sword shaped and narrow. They are woolly and stalkless. The flower heads occur in dense clusters at the top of the plant. There can also be smaller clusters in the axils of leaves lower down. The flowers are a pale whitish yellow. They are surrounded by shiny bracts which are green near their bases. A head consists of many female flowers and a few bisexual disk flowers.

There are about 200 Gnaphalium species.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in well-drained dry sandy soils. In Africa it grows between 5-3,850 m above sea level. It can grow in mountain grassland as well as along the edges of streams. It often grows in poor sites. It is often close to water. It can grow in arid places. Tasmania Herbarium. In Sichuan

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Africa, Algeria, Angola, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Botswana, Britain, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canary Islands, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central Asia, Chad, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, East Africa, Egypt, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, France, Germany, Greece, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, North America, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Sinai, South Africa, Southern Africa, Spain, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are used as relish. They are also cooked and eaten. The fresh leaves are eaten as a leafy green. The leaves are also cooked and added to porridge.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bal raksha, Muluvi-luvi, Umgilane

Synonyms

Gnaphalium luteo-album L.; Gnaphalium trifidum Thunb.; Pseudognaphalium luteo-album (L.) Hilliard & B. L. Burtt; and many others