Borreria verticillata (L.) G. Mey., Rubiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Spermacoce verticillata L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: shrubby false-buttonweed

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual herb with straggling, rather flexuous stems, to ca. 60 cm high. Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, glabrous, mostly less than 2.5 cm long. Flowers white, very small, borne in sessile clusters at the upper stem nodes. Fruit a small capsule. Seeds reddish-brown." (Sykes, 1970; p. 175)

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical America (Sykes, 1970; p. 175).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 175) Voucher cited: CHR 170396
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 89)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Borreria verticillata is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Borreria verticillata as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Borreria verticillata may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

Other Latin names:  Spermacoce verticillata L.

References:

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2009. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.