Gamochaeta purpurea (L.) Cabr., Asteraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Gnaphalium purpureum L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: purple cudweed

Spanish: puscala

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Erect annual or biennial herbs 1-4 (-10) dm tall, sparsely to moderately woolly.  Lower leaves spatulate to oblanceolate, 2-5 (-9) cm long, 0.3-2 cm wide, gradually becoming reduced up the stem, uppermost leaves oblanceolate to oblong or even linear, upper surface glabrate or sparsely white tomentose, lower surface densely white tomentose.  Heads in terminal, spike-like, sometimes interrupted clusters, sometimes subtended by a few small leafy bracts; involucral bracts pale brown or purple, woolly pubescent at base; pappus bristles connate to form a ring at base, deciduous as a unit"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 321, 1861).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized and relatively common in dry to wet, disturbed habitats, especially along roadsides, in pastures, and on open lava, from near sea level up to 2,100 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 321).  In Tonga, "uncommon in disturbed places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 11).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  North America (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 321).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 18) "A relatively common introduced weed from America, now widespread in warm temperate regions". Vouchers cited: M.M.J. van Balgooy 1024 (CANB), P.S. Green 1552 (A, K), J. Pickard 2658 (NSW), R.D. Hoogland 8819 (CANB, NSW)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 8) "A relatively common introduced weed from America, now widespread in warm temperate regions". Vouchers cited: W.R. Sykes NI 204 (CHR), J.D. McComish 61A (NSW). J.D. McComish 247 (NSW)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Fernandina Group	Fernandina Island	possibly introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	possibly introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Alcedo, Isabela Island	possibly introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	possibly introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	possibly introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santiago Group	Santiago Island	possibly introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 321, 1861)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 321, 1861)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 321, 1861)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 321, 1861)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lehua Island	introduced invasive	Wood, K. R./LeGrande, Maya (2006) (p. 20) Voucher cited: Flynn et al. 4852 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 321, 1861)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 321, 1861)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 321, 1861)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 11) Voucher cited: Hurlimann 98

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

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

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

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

Other Latin names:  Gnaphalium purpureum L.

References:

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

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

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Wiggins, I. L./Porter, D. M. 1971. Flora of the Galapágos Islands. Stanford University Press. 998 pp.

Wood, K. R./LeGrande, Maya. 2006. An annotated checklist and new island records of flowering plants from Lehua Islet, Ni‘ihau, Hawai‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 87:19-29.