Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

  [   PIER species lists  ]   [   PIER home  ]

Striga angustifolia
(D. Don) C. J. Saldanha, Orobanchaceae
No images for this taxon


Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Buchnera angustifolia D. Don

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: xia ye du jiao jin

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annuals, 15-45 cm tall. Stems erect, subquadrangular, simple, rarely apically branched, hispidulous. Leaves sessile, linear, 1.5-3.5 cm x 1-2 mm, lower ones smaller, scabrous hairy. Spikes 3- to numerous flowered, 3-15 cm; bracts similar to leaves in shape and size. Pedicel less than 2 mm. Bracteoles less that 1 mm, linear. Calyx 9-10 mm, 15-ribbed, hispidulous along ribs; lobes almost as long as tube, subulate. Corolla white, 1.2-1.5 cm; tube ca. 2 cm x 1 mm, apically curved forward; limb 4-6 mm; lower lip lobes 4-6 x 3-4 mm. Capsule obovoid-oblong, ca. 4.5 x 3 mm. Seeds brown, minute"  (Flora of China online).

"Annual herb to 40 cm tall, a root parasite on grasses.  Leaves opposite, becoming spirally arranged upwards, sessile, linear; 1-5 cm - 2-5 mm.  Flowers solitary in leaf axils, forming terminal spikes.  Calyx tubular 4- or 5-lobed, longitudinally ribbed, to 10 mm long.  Corolla tubular, 5-lobed and 2-lipped, white, yellow, pink or red.  Fruit a 2-valved, ovoid capsule c. 4 mm long, containing numerous, tiny oblong, longitudinally-ribbed seeds"  (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 95-96).

See also Striga asiatica.

Habitat/ecology:  "Grasslands and other open grassy areas" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 95-96).

Propagation:  "Large numbers of tiny, dust-like seeds dispersed by wind and water" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 95-96).

Native range:  "Probably tropical Asia" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 95-96).

Presence:

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) native
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Grassy places; low elevations. Hainan (Dongfang Xian).
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam (Socialist Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands introduced
Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (p. 96)
"A single specimen collected near the Quarantine Station boundary".
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands introduced
invasive
Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1993) (p. 37)

Comments:  "A serious weed in India. A parasitic weed of rice, sorghum and sugarcane." (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 95-96).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Striga angustifolia, please let us know.


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

  [   PIER species lists  ]   [   PIER home  ]

This page was created on 14 MAR 2005 and was last updated on 16 MAR 2012.