Gomphrena celosioides Mart., Amaranthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Gomphrena alba Peter

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: yin hua xian

English: gomphrena weed, soft khakiweed

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual or perennial herbs; stems ascending to erect, 1-2 dm long, rather sparsely branched, appressed pilose with white silky hairs.  Leaves oblong-lanceolate to oblong-obovate, 1.5-4.5 cm long, 0.5-1.3 cm wide, upper surface subglabrous, lower surface white pilose, often densely white pilose in the leaf axils, narrowed into an indistinct petiole at base.  Flowers in terminal and axillary, cylindrical spikes 1-2 cm long and ca. 1 cm in diameter, rachis and upper part of stems densely white pilose, lower flowers deciduous after anthesis and rachis tending to elongate, sometimes resulting in a bract-bearing rachis 3-5 cm long with flowers persistent only in a terminal rounded tuft, each inflorescence subtended by a pair of leaves shorter than the inflorescence, bracts ovate, ca. 3 mm long, apex acuminate, the midrib shortly excurrent into a sharp point, bracteoles 4.5-5.5 mm long, laterally compressed, keeled, dorsal crest along the keel variously developed, confined to upper 1/3 of bracteole, often inconspicuous with 1-2 teeth, occasionally well-developed near apex of bracteole, sometimes absent or vestigial; calyx ca. 4-4.5 mm long, the lobes narrow, attenuate; ovary subglobose; stigmas 2, branches divergent or becoming erect. Utricles ca. 1.7 mm long.  Seed brown, lustrous, ca. 1.5 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 192, 1857).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "recently naturalized on O‘ahu" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 192, 1857). In Papua New Guinea, "a common plant of roadsides, and sometimes invading pastures as a weed" (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 58); "a weed of dry open places, often along roads or near wharfs and airfields at low altitudes"  (Womersley, 1978; p. 37).  In New Caledonia, "mauvaise herbe paraissant d'introduction récente; devient assez commun à Nouméa" (MacKee, 1994; p. 12).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  South America (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 192, 1857).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 270)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 70)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R. (1995) (p. 15) Voucher cited: Flynn 1977 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 192) Voucher cited: K. Nagata 2730 (HLA)
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 92)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	Tassin, Jacques (2005)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 12) Vouchers cited: MacKee 15571, MacKee 18317, MacKee 24830, MacKee 29583, MacKee 34644, MacKee 41014
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced invasive	Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. (1975) (p. 58) At low altitudes, mainly in areas of high rainfall.
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced invasive	Womersley, John S., ed. (1978) (p. 37)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)

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) Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) "Roadsides, waste places". Hainan
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 79) Ornamental.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 182)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 99) "Collected wild at Silverdale".
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Guayas
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) "Roadsides, waste places".
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced invasive	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 115)
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Control:  If you know of control methods for Gomphrena celosioides, please let us know.