Senecio ruwenzoriensis

This perennial herb grows up to tall. The leaves are hairless and somewhat fleshy. They have sparse teeth and are elongated ovals with rounded tips. They have three veins from the base of the leaf. The margins have hardened teeth. The roots are tuberous. The flowers (both the ray and the disc florets) are bright yellow in colour. The round flower heads have 8–10 rays and 10–12 leathery bracts. They are borne in loose, flat inflorescences and held on long stems. The flower stems are leafy at the base. The dry, single seeded fruits are cylindrical and ribbed. In South Africa, they are present between December and May. == Distribution and habitat ==

This species has a large distribution but seems to be highly localised within its range. == Toxicity ==

It was suspected that this species was poisoning that cattle that were eating it in the Nanyuki district of Kenya. Two potential alkaloids (ruwenine and ruzorine) were extracted and compared to retrosine (another Senecio alkaloid) in rats. While both of the alkaloids found in Senecio ruwenzoriensis were found to cause liver damage, ruwenine was the more potent of the two. It was more harmful to the rats than retrosine, while ruzorine was less harmful than retrosine. == References ==