Struchium sparganophorum (L.) Kuntze, Asteraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Ethulia sparganophora L; Sparganophoros sparganophora (L.) C. Jeffrey

Common name(s): [more details]

French: oreille-mouton

Spanish: yerba de faja

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Erect herbs, commonly 40-60 cm. tall, the stems simple or much branched, stout, terete, sparsely short-pilose or almost glabrous; leaves short-petiolate, the blades thin, mostly oblanceolate or elliptic, 5-12 cm. long, acuminate, attenuate to the base, conspicuously or obscurely and coarsely serrate, very sparsely and inconspicuously strigillose or glabrate, punctate on both surfaces; heads about 50-flowered; involucres 4-5 mm. high; phyllaries appressed, with broad, pale margins, abruptly contracted into a short, spinulose tip; achenes oblong, 1.5-2 mm. long, the crown whitish, about half as long as the achene"  (Nash & Williams, 1976; 24(12):18-19).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "a naturalized weed at elevations up to about 150 m on rocky shores of rivers, along roadsides, and in pastures, usually in damp places" (Smith, 1991; p. 259).  "Occasional on streamsides and other wet places in central Upolu" (Whistler, 1988; 12).  In Guatemala (native), "wet thickets or forest, often a weed in banana plantations, at or little above sea level"  (Nash & Williams, 1976; 24(12):18-19).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Tropical America and the West Indies, now adventive in tropical Africa, Indian Ocean islands, southeastern Asia, Malesia, and into the Pacific"  (Smith, 1991; p. 259).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 259) Voucher cited: Smith 7394
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 259) Vouchers cited: DA 5766, DA 11531, Bierhorst F189
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 259) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 1107, DA 7504, DA 10447, DA 14039
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 12)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	Nash, Dorothy L./Williams, Louis O. (1976) (pp. 24(12):18-19)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 82) Naturalised
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Struchium sparganophorum, please let us know.