Guasca

Name Variations[]

Mielcilla
Galinsoga
gallant soldier
guascas

About Guasca[]

Guasca, Galinsoga parviflora, it's an herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. It is also known by the taxonomic name Tridax parviflora.

Galinsoga parviflora was brought from Peru to Kew Gardens in 1796, and later escaped to the wild in Britain. In Britain its name Galinsoga is sometimes popularly rendered as "gallant soldiers", and then sometimes altered to "soldiers of the Queen".

Guascas is an herb that very popular in Colombia, but is considered a weed in most other parts of the world. It is used as a spice herb in the soup Ajiaco. It can also be used as an ingredient in leaf salads. It is available in many places in the US. The brand Kiskas sells the dried leaves which is better than nothing.