Brickellia diffusa (Vahl) A. Gray, Asteraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Spanish: culantrillo

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Erect annual to 2 m tall, simple below and with main axis continuing nearly to tip, but more or less diffusely branched upward when well-developed; stem puberulent or woolly-puberulent, especially upward, often also somewhat viscid or glandular; basal leaves none; cauline leaves opposite, lower ones reduced and often soon deciduous, others well-developed, with slender petiole 1-8 cm long and a thin, deltoid-ovate to broadly subcordate blade mostly 2-8 cm long and wide, palmately tri-nerved, evidently crenate, often atomiferous-glandular, and otherwise sparsely hairy (especially along veins) or nearly glabrous; heads numerous to very numerous on slender peduncles mostly (2) 5-15 mm long; heads mostly 8-13-flowered, cylindric, the involucre 6-9 mm high, its slender bracts strongly imbricate in several series, greenish with hyaline margins, commonly with 2 pale principal veins flanking midline, often with thinner vein delimiting each of the hyaline margins; corollas greenish white, very slender, scarcely expanded upward, about 4 mm long; style branches filiform; achenes about 2 mm long, blackish, antrorsely strigose or more loosely hirsute-strigose"  (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; pp. 320-322).

Habitat/ecology:  In its native range, "moist or dry thickets, often a weed in waste ground, 1,600 m. or less"  (Nash & Williams, 1976; p. 12/43).  "A common weed of much of tropical America" (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; pp. 320-322).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Mexico, Central and South America (GRIN)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Darwin Islands	Darwin Island	native	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Fernandina Group	Fernandina Island	native	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	native	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Cerro Azul, Isabela Island	native	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Darwin, Isabela Island	native	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	native	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	native	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Wolf Island	Wolf Island	native	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)

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)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
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)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
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 Brickellia diffusa, please let us know.