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Crassocephalum rubens
Asteraceae FAMILY

Crassocephalum rubens

Crassocephalum rubens

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitAnnual
Growth—

Succeeds in subtropical and tropical climates at low to moderate elevations[1]. It is found in areas with an annual rainfall of 1,000 - 1,600 mm[1]. The plant grows best in a well-drained soil with a high organic matter content[1]. Prefers sandy loams[1]. The plant requires support and shade and is often grown among cocoa trees[1]. Removal of the flowering shoots encourages leaf production[1]. In northern Sierra Leone two varieties are recognized and the leaves of both are eaten[2].

Propagation

Seed - Stem cuttings 20 - 25 cm long, obtained from mature shoots[1]. The plant is described as being an annual which, if true, makes this a rather strange method of propagation[PFAF]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Crassocephalum+rubens>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
  2. [2]The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. — Burkil. H. M. · Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. · 1985 - 2004 ↩︎Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
  3. [3]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  4. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎