Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Galega officinalis
L., Fabaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Galega bicolor Boiss. & Hausskn. ex Regel; Galega patula Steven

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: shan yang dou

English: French lilac, Italian fitch, galega, goat's-rue, professor-weed

French: galega officinal, lilas d'Espagne

Spanish: galega

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Stems rounded, ribbed, ± glabrous. Leaves sparsely hairy; stipules ovate-lanceolate with 1-3 basal lobes; leaflets subsessile, elliptic-ovate to oblong, obtuse or acute, mucronate, in 4-9 ± opposite pairs, (15)-20-50 mm long, pinnately veined. Inflorescence axillary, = or > leaves, with numerous flowers; bracts subtending pedicels lanceolate, c. 5-7 mm long; pedicels 3-6 mm long. Calyx glabrous, or with scattered, short hairs at base of tube and teeth, slightly gibbous at base; calyx teeth ± = or slightly < tube, linear. Corolla white to pale purplish or pinkish blue or deep pink, 10-13 mm long. Pod glabrous, ± cylindric, with thickened parallel veins, 2-8-seeded, 15-40 mm long; seeds smooth, oblong, constricted slightly at the short hilum"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 648).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand, "waste places, riverbeds, swampland"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 648).  "In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Low altitude, interior valleys; coastal mountains, 500-2000 m; coastal areas, 0-500 m. Somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months, precipitations of 400-800 mm. are concentrated in winter. Fully exposed to the sun, level areas or slopes facing north"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Europe, Algeria, Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey; cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (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 a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island) introduced
invasive
Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island) introduced
invasive
cultivated
Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 484, 530, 554)
Voucher cited: Danton I(5/233)1580. "Presente en el Continente, no vimos más que sólo individuos en el pueblo de San Juan Bautista en RC y un único en AS, en el pueblito de La Colonia. Si esta especie se mulitplica, podria volverse terriblemente invasora, al igual que en el continente".
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
cultivated
Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 484, 530, 554)
Voucher cited: Danton G(1426)1191. "Presente en el Continente, no vimos más que sólo individuos en el pueblo de San Juan Bautista en RC y un único en AS, en el pueblito de La Colonia. Si esta especie se mulitplica, podria volverse terriblemente invasora, al igual que en el continente".
Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
China
China
China (People's Republic of) introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand (country) introduced
invasive
Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 648)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Chile (Republic of) introduced
invasive
Belov, Michail (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Perú (Republic of) introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
United States (west coast)
United States (west coast states)
USA (Washington) introduced
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
Mauritius
Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)
Mauritius Island introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Canada
Canada
Canada introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
Ontario
United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states)
United States (other states) introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Galega officinalis, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 9 FEB 2011 and was last updated on 4 MAY 2013.