Digitalis purpurea L., Scrophulariaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7.5 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Digitalis amandiana Samp.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: digitalis, foxglove, purple foxglove

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Biennial or short-lived perennial. Basal rosette giving rise to densely hairy simple stems to c. 2.5 m high. Petiole long and winged; upper stem leaves with much shorter petioles. Lamina 10-25 x 3.5-12 cm, lanceolate to elliptic or ovate, hairy to glabrate above, ± grey-tomentulose with crisped hairs beneath, crenate or crenulate; base cuneate to attenuate. Racemes to c. 60 cm long, with many nodding flowers. Bracts lanceolate, shortly glandular-hairy, decreasing in size upwards, > pedicels; pedicels tomentulose, 5-15 mm long. Calyx 8-17 mm long, shortly glandular-hairy, deeply lobed; lobes imbricate, ovate, obtuse or acute. Corolla mostly 3.5-5 cm long; tube campanulate and inflated above constricted base, usually pinkish purple with dark purple white-ringed spots in lower part, sometimes pure white, glabrous; lobes short and rounded. Stamens included. Capsule 10-15 mm long, ovoid. Seeds oblong, alveolate, truncate"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 1183).

Habitat/ecology:  "It is frost resistant, drought sensitive and prefers moist soils in open positions.  In Victoria [Australia], it has invaded moist and wet sclerophyll forest, riparian areas and rainforest.  Infestations also exist in alpine areas"  (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 155).  In New Zealand, "mostly open disturbed areas, especially poor pastures, scrub and forest margins, stony river beds, roadsides, tracksides" (Webb et al., 1988; p. 1183).

Propagation:  "It is propagated from seeds which are probably dispersed by wind or water"  (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 155).

Native range:  Europe and Morocco (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1948) (voucher ID: BISH 69574) Taxon name on voucher: Digitalis purpurea L.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 155)
Canada Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2009)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Harvard University (2007) "Sometimes naturalized in disturbed areas; low elevations".
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 1183)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2009)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2009)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2009)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast and Florida) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2009)

Additional information:
Fact sheet from the California Invasive Pest Council.
Fact sheet from Non-native plants species of Alaska.

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

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

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

Other Latin names:  Digitalis amandiana Samp.

References:

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1948. Voucher specimen #BISH69574(Greenwell, A.B.H. (Degner) 19516).

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

Harvard University. 2007. Flora of China (online resource).

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

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2009. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.