Digitalis purpurea L., Plantaginaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7.5 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Digitalis amandiana Samp.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: mao di huang

English: digitalis, foxglove, purple foxglove

Korean: digitalriseu

Spanish: campanilla, dedalera

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Biennial or short-lived perennial. Basal rosette giving rise to densely hairy simple stems to c. 2.5 m high. Petiole long and winged; upper stem leaves with much shorter petioles. Lamina 10-25 x 3.5-12 cm, lanceolate to elliptic or ovate, hairy to glabrate above, ± grey-tomentulose with crisped hairs beneath, crenate or crenulate; base cuneate to attenuate. Racemes to c. 60 cm long, with many nodding flowers. Bracts lanceolate, shortly glandular-hairy, decreasing in size upwards, > pedicels; pedicels tomentulose, 5-15 mm long. Calyx 8-17 mm long, shortly glandular-hairy, deeply lobed; lobes imbricate, ovate, obtuse or acute. Corolla mostly 3.5-5 cm long; tube campanulate and inflated above constricted base, usually pinkish purple with dark purple white-ringed spots in lower part, sometimes pure white, glabrous; lobes short and rounded. Stamens included. Capsule 10-15 mm long, ovoid. Seeds oblong, alveolate, truncate"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 1183).

Habitat/ecology:  "It is frost resistant, drought sensitive and prefers moist soils in open positions.  In Victoria [Australia], it has invaded moist and wet sclerophyll forest, riparian areas and rainforest.  Infestations also exist in alpine areas"  (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 155).  In New Zealand, "mostly open disturbed areas, especially poor pastures, scrub and forest margins, stony river beds, roadsides, tracksides" (Webb et al., 1988; p. 1183).  "In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Medium altitude up to the timber line; low altitude, interior valleys.  Humid areas, with almost constant rainfall, short dry periods are possible (generally not longer than 1 month); somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months, precipitations of 400-800 mm. are concentrated in winter.  Some shadow, some protection against direct sunlight, some shadow from vegetation, filtering about 20-40% of light"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  "It is propagated from seeds which are probably dispersed by wind or water"  (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 155).

Native range:  Europe and Morocco; also cultivated (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 553)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1948) (voucher ID: BISH 69574) Taxon name on voucher: Digitalis purpurea L.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 155)
British Columbia (province of Canada) Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) "Sometimes naturalized in disturbed areas; low elevations".
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 189)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 1183)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Belov, Michail (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Comité français de l'Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature en France (2013) Envahissant principalement dans les milieux perturbés.

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Digitalis purpurea, please let us know.