Acaena argentea Ruiz & Pav., Rosaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Spanish: amor seco, bidibid, cadillo, pega-pega, proquín, soto, trun, zarzaparrilla

Habit:  herb

Description: 

Genus:  "Decumbent or ascending herbs, often suffrutescent at the base, with erect, usually scapelike flowering branches. Leaves unequally pinnate, the leaflets incised-serrate or divided. Stipules vaginate, adnate to the petiole. Stamens 1-10. Fruit usually tuberculate or aculeate, included in the persistent calyx.

Species:  "Branches suberect, with old leaves below, 30 cm. high, the creeping, branching, ligneous stems becoming many decimeters long, the internodes 5-6 cm. long, more or less densely long-pubescent; leaflets mostly 9, rarely 11-13, oblong-lanceolate, acutish, glabrous above, long-appressed-gray-pilose beneath, at least on the nerves, mostly 2.5-3.5 cm. long, nearly 1 (-1.5) cm. wide, the lower ones greatly reduced; flowers capitate, perfect; stamens 3-4; fruit with 4 spines, the longer ones 6-7 mm. long, apically 4-5-glochidiate, the body of the fruit 5 mm. long, attenuate"  (Macbride, 1938; 13(2/3):1116-1117)

Habitat/ecology:  "In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Medium altitude up to the timber line; low altitude, interior valleys; coastal mountains, 500-2000 m; coastal areas, 0-500 m.  Humid areas, with almost constant rainfall, short dry periods are possible (generally not longer than 1 month).  Some shadow, some protection against direct sunlight, some shadow from vegetation, filtering about 20-40% of light; in shadow, steep slopes facing south or a vegetation cover which filters 40-80% of light"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seed, which attaches to clothing, the fur of animals, etc.

Native range:  Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela (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	Skottsberg, Carl (1953) (p. 219)
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	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 460, 463, 550)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island)	introduced	Skottsberg, Carl (1953) (p. 219)
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) (pp. 460, 463, 550)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Santa Clara	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 460, 463, 550) Voucher cited: Danton I(5/317)1667

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	Macbride, J. Francis (1936) (p. 13(2/3):1117)

Additional information:
Photos and other information from Chileflora.

Additional online information about Acaena argentea is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

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

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

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Belov, Michail. 2011. Chileflora (online resource).

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

Macbride, J. Francis. 1936. Flora of Peru. Field Museum of Natural History, Botanical Series, Vol. XIII. 1936-1971, 6 parts.

Skottsberg, Carl. 1953. The natural history of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island. Vol. II, Botany. Almqvist &l; Wiksells, Uppsala. 960 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.