Fumaria capreolata L., Papaveraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: climbing fumitory, ramping fumitory, white fumitory, white ramping-fumitory, white-flower fumitory

Spanish: flor de la culebra

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Scrambling or climbing annual herb. Leaves distant; lamina dissected, pale green, up to 10 x 7 cm; segments narrow-oblong or narrow-cuneiform. Inflorescence dense, with up to 20 flowers; rachis < peduncle. Peduncle 2-6-(8) cm long; bracts linear, acute, < pedicels, c. 2 x 0.5 mm; pedicels recurved in late flowering and fruiting, 4-6 mm long. Sepals ovate, dentate, subacute, (3)-4-6 x (1.5)-2-3 mm. Corolla creamy white with blackish red wings and tips, suffused with pink after pollination, 9-11 mm long; lower petal with erect margins. Fruit globose to obovoid, smooth, obscurely keeled, c. 2 x 2 mm; apex obtuse; apical pits small" (Webb et al., 1988; p. 718).

"Plants 1-8 dm. Inflorescences , excluding peduncle, 2-3.5 cm; bracteoles equaling or shorter than pedicels. Flowers: pedicel rigidly arcuate-recurved in fruit, ca. 3 mm; corolla 9-14 mm, spur 2-3 mm; outer petals white; inner petals white near base, deep red or dark purple apically. Capsules globose, slightly compressed, 2-2.5 mm in diameter, smooth or nearly so"  (Flora of North America online).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand, Roadsides, hedgerows"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 718).  In Florida (U.S.), "waste places, ditches, cultivated fields; 0-50 m"  (Flora of North America online).  "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); somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months, precipitations of 400-800 mm. are concentrated in winter. Fully exposed to the sun, level areas or slopes facing north; some shadow, some protection against direct sunlight, some shadow from vegetation, filtering about 20-40% of light"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Canary Islands, northern Africa, Europe, western Asia; naturalized elsewhere (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	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) (p. 554)

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	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) "Widespread garden weed".
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 183)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 715)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	introduced	Belov, Michail (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

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) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013) New York
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Fumaria capreolata, please let us know.