Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr.

Herbs, scandent. Stems procumbent, brownish or purple striate, glabrous or pubescent when young, branched. Leaf petiole 5-15 mm, glabrous; blade abaxially purplish, adaxially green, ovate, ovate-oblong, or elliptic, 3-8 × 1.5-3.5 cm, both surfaces glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent, lateral veins 5-7-paired, curved, veinlets inconspicuous, base rounded-obtuse or cuneately attenuate into petiole, margin entire or repand-dentate, apex acute or acuminate. Upper stem leaves and leaves on synflorescence branches reduced, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, sessile or subsessile. Capitula 3-5 in each corymb, in terminal or axillary corymbs; peduncles long, slender, often with 1-3 linear bracts, sparsely shortly pubescent or glabrous. Invo-lucres campanulate or funnelform, 15-17 × 5-10 mm; bracteoles at base 5 or 6, linear; phyllaries (9 or)11-13, becoming purplish, oblong-lanceolate, 15-17 × ca. 1.5 mm, glabrous, 1-3-veined, margin narrowly scarious, apically acuminate. Florets 20-30; corolla orange, 12-15 mm, with slender 8-10 mm tube and dilated limb; lobes ovate-lanceolate, apically acute. Anthers obtuse at base, appendages triangular. Style branch tips conical, papillose. Achenes brown, cylindric, 4-6 mm, glabrous, 10-ribbed. Pappus white, silky. Fl. Mar-Apr. 2n = 20.

A tropical plant. It grows in sunny places. It grows on the edge of forests and in thickets. It grows along streams and up to 1,500 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan. At MARDI.

The young leaves are sometimes used to flavour dishes. They are cooked with meat and in soup. CAUTION: In large amounts the leaves are poisonous.

Plants can be grown from seeds and cuttings.