Senecio cacaliaster
StarSenecio cacaliaster
Synonyms: Solidago montana, Senecio obliquus, Senecio sarracenicus var. flosculosus, Senecio albodentatus, Senecio croaticus, Cacalia saracenica, Senecio cacaliaster var. radiatus
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In older European folk medicine various Senecio species, including Senecio cacaliaster, were applied externally as wound herbs (vulneraries) to staunch bleeding and dress sores and cuts (historical European herbal usage; Wikipedia). Such use is largely obsolete: like other ragworts, the plant contains hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids that make internal use hazardous, and modern herbal practice avoids it.
Gallery
Botanical Description
Senecio cacaliaster is an erect perennial herb of the daisy family, growing roughly 0.5-1.5 m tall, with stout, leafy, often unbranched stems. The leaves are alternate, large, elliptic to lance-shaped with sharply toothed margins, thin in texture, the lower ones narrowed into a winged stalk and the upper ones becoming sessile and clasping. The yellow flower heads are small and numerous, arranged in a broad, branched, flat-topped to rounded terminal cluster (corymb); each head is narrow with a few short ray florets or only disc florets, surrounded by a single row of green involucral bracts. The fruit is a small ribbed achene topped by a pappus of soft white bristles. Native to the mountains of central and southern Europe, it grows in damp montane meadows, woodland clearings, tall-herb communities and along streams.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Senecio cacaliaster.
No notes yet.