Farfugium japonicum
(L.) Kitamura
Leopard plant, Taiwan farfugium
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(c) Kuan-Chieh (Chuck) Hung, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Kuan-Chieh (Chuck) Hung
(c) jsulan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Vegetable, Leaf stalk, Caution, Roots
The leaf stems are edible when cooked. They should be boiled in water to remove bitterness, the outer peel stripped away, and then added to salads, soups, or similar dishes.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
A temperate plant. It grows in cliffs and rocky outcrops along the coast. It needs a humus rich moist soil. It is resistant to the salt spray.
Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan,
How to Identify
An evergreen herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaf stem is 30-40 cm long. The flower stalk is 30-75 cm high. The leaves are at the base near ground level and are kidney shaped. They are leathery and 15-20 cm long by 25 cm wide. They are thick and have a long leaf stalk. The flowers are yellow. The flower heads are 4-6 cm across.
How to Grow
It can be grown by seed or division of the clump.
Propagation: Sow seed in spring in a cold frame. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow on in a greenhouse through at least their first winter. Plant out into permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The plant can also be propagated by division in spring.
Medicinal Uses
The leaves are antidotal and are taken internally to treat fish poisoning and applied externally to treat lacquer poisoning. They are also used as a poultice on suppurating abscesses and pox.
Other Uses
None known.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Farfugium japonicum (syn. Ligularia tussilaginea) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, also known as leopard plant, green leopard plant or tractor seat plant. It is native to streams and seashores of Japan, where it is called tsuwabuki (石蕗).
Names & Synonyms
Gao wu, Japanese silver leaf, Silveredge, Tsuwabuki, Wild butterbur
References (9)
- Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 8:268. 1939
- Chen, B. & Qiu, Z., Consumer's Attitudes towards Edible Wild Plants, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. p 23 www.hindawi.com/journals/ijfr/aip/872413.pdf
- Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 40 (As Ligularia kaempferi)
- Hirono, I., 1993, Edible Plants Containing Naturally Occurring Carcinogens in Japan. Jpn. J. Cancer Res. 84, 997-1006
- Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 730 (As Farfugium japonicum var. formosanum)
- Kays, S. J., and Dias, J. C. S., 1995, Common Names of Commercially Cultivated Vegetables of the World in 15 languages. Economic Botany, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 115-152
- Levy-Yamamori, R., & Taaffe, G., 2004, Garden Plants of Japan. Timber Press. p 319
- Lim, T. K., 2015, Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants. Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Springer p 42 (As Farfugium japonicum var. formosanum)
- Tanaka, (As Ligularia kaempferi)
