Gynura bicolor
| Gynura bicolor | |
|---|---|
| Hongfeng cai plant | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Gynura |
| Species: | G. bicolor
|
| Binomial name | |
| Gynura bicolor | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Gynura bicolor, also called hongfeng cai (紅鳳菜) in Chinese, suizenjina (水前寺菜) in Japanese, Okinawan spinach or edible gynura, is a member of the chrysanthemum family (Asteraceae). It is native to China, Thailand, and Myanmar but grown in many other places as a vegetable and as a medicinal herb.
There are two kinds: one that is green on both sides, and another with leaves that are green on the top and purple underneath. Both kinds are considered medicinal vegetables. Gynura bicolor is a perennial and therefore found for sale throughout the year, however, winter and spring are the best times to use the plant.