Fleischmannia pratensis (Klatt) R.M. King & H. Rob., Asteraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Eupatorium pratense Klatt

Common name(s): [more details]

English: purple malva

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Perennial, usually erect, herbaceous, and 3-5 dm tall, sometimes becoming woody toward base and more or less scrambling on other vegetation; stem and usually the leaves more or less viscid-villosulous or viscid-puberulent, especially upward, sometimes also atomiferous-glandular; leaves opposite, petiole mostly 1-5 cm long, blade mostly deltoid to broadly ovate or triangular-ovate, 2.5-8 cm log, 2-6 cm wide, evidently crenate, palmately or subpalmately 3-5-nerved; involucre 4-5 mm high, evidently puberulent or viscid-puberulent at least toward base ([Galapagos Islands;] sometimes glabrous in mainland forms), its bracts obviously imbricate in several series, conspicuously ribbed-striate (often with pair of prominent ribs flanking midline), relatively broad and blunt, the inner generally well over 0.5 mm (often 1 mm) wide at 0.5 mm from the broadly rounded to merely obtuse tip, the reduced outer bracts narrower and obtuse to merely acute; flowers mostly 11-26 in each head, blue or lavender through pink to white; achenes black, glabrous or nearly so, about 1.5 mm long" (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; pp. 333-334).

Habitat/ecology:  "A widespread weed in tropical and subtropical America" (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; pp. 333-334).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Mexico, Central America, western 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) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)

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)	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) Chiapas, Hidalgo, Veracruz
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)

Comments:  Probably not native to the Galápagos Islands; probably introduced per Charles Darwin Research Station.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Fleischmannia pratensis, please let us know.