Taxon: Gymnanthemum amygdalinum (Delile) Sch. Bip.

Summary

Genus:

Gymnanthemum

Family:

Asteraceae (alt. Compositae)

Subfamily:

Cichorioideae

Tribe:

Vernonieae

Subtribe:

Gymnantheminae

Nomen number:

419854

Place of publication:

W. G. Walpers, Repert. bot. syst. 2:948. 1843

Protologue link:

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7384188

Comment:

in addition to ascribing the new combination to him, Walpers acknowledged the contributions of Schultz-Bipontinus in his preface (p. vi), so he is the author of this name (Shenzhen ICN Art. 46.2)

Verified:

06/02/2008 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

2 (1 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Vernonia amygdalina Delile

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Robinson, H. 1999. Generic and subtribal classification of American Vernonieae. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 89:69.
Robinson, H. 1999. Revisions in paleotropical Vernonieae (Asteraceae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 112:239.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Vernonia amygdalina Delile

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	bitterleaf			1	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Vernonia amygdalina Delile
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Vernonia amygdalina Delile
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Uganda			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Vernonia amygdalina Delile
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Eritrea			Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia			Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Sudan			Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Angola			Figueiredo, E. & G. F. Smith. 2008. Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Malawi			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Mozambique			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Zambia			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Zimbabwe			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Botswana			Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Eswatini			Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	KwaZulu-Natal		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Limpopo		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Mpumalanga		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Benin			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Côte D'Ivoire			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Guinea			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Liberia			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Mali			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Sierra Leone			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Cameroon			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Democratic Republic of the Congo			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Equatorial Guinea			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Arabian Peninsula	Yemen			Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
2	Cultivated					also cult.

Native
Africa

NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa [KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga]

Asia-Temperate

ARABIAN PENINSULA: Yemen

Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)

Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
Figueiredo, E. & G. F. Smith. 2008. Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Vernonia amygdalina Delile
Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	boundary/barrier/support	for hedges	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Environmental	ornamental	for hedges	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Human food	vegetable	as Vernonia amygdalina	Kunkel, G. 1984. Plants for human consumption
Medicines	folklore	as Vernonia amygdalina	Kayode, J. 2005. Ethnobotanical survey and conservation of medicinal Compositae species in Benin Kingdom, Nigeria. Compositae Newslett. 42:53. Note: as Vernonia amygdalina

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=419854. Accessed 9 May 2026.