Vernonia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the town, see Vernonia, Oregon.
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 Vernonia baldwinii
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About 1000; see text |
Vernonia is a genus of about 200 species of forbs and shrubs in the family Asteraceae. Some species are sometimes known as ironweeds. Some species are edible and of economic value. They are known for having intense purple flowers. The genus is named for English botanist William Vernon.
Several species of Vernonia, including V. calvoana, V. amygdalina, and V. colorata, are eaten as leaf vegetables. Common names for these species include bitterleaf, ewuro, and ndole. They are common in most West African and Central African countries. They are one of the most widely consumed leaf vegetables of cameroon, where they are a key ingredient of ndole stew. The leaves have a sweet and bitter taste. They are sold fresh or dried, and are a typical ingredient in egusi soup.
V. amygdalina is well known as a medicinal plant with several uses attributed to it, including for Diabetes, and recently a non-pharmaceutical solution to AIDS (taken daily with honey and the freshly squeezed juice of the mashed leaves.) Proof of this use is being sought in trials in Abidjan, Ivory Coast starting in December 2006. These leaves are exported from several African countries and can be purchased inexpensively in grocery stores aiming to serve African clients for about $1.50/225gm pkg. frozen.
V. galamensis is used as an oilseed in East Africa.
Vernonia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora vernoniaeella (which feeds exclusively on the genus) and Schinia regia (which feeds exclusively on V. texana).
[edit] References and external links
- Vernonia Information System. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
- Crop fact sheet for V. galamensis. Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
- Multilingual taxonomic information from the University of Melbourne
- Effect of Processing and Preservation Methods on Vitamin C and Total Carotenoid Levels of some Vernonia (Bitter Leaf) Species. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
