Malachra capitata (L.) L., Malvaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Sida capitata L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: papago

Spanish: malva de caballo

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Mostly erect, coarse, annual or perennial herb 1-2 m tall, throughout densely whitish- or yellowish-tomentose with stellate hairs and usually also moderately to copiously hispid with simple or stellate hairs to 2 mm long; leaves long-petioled; stipules lanceolate, 5-15 mm long; blades orbicular to ovate, 2-10 cm long, palmately sinuate to 3-, 5-, or 7-lobed, lobes mostly obtuse, crenate to serrate, the base obtuse or truncate; flowers in axillary, pedunculate, bracteate heads, bracts 1-2 cm long, stipitate and subtended by paired, filiform bracteoles, conduplicate, suborbicular to ovate, obtuse or acute, entire or once or twice dentate, obtuse to cordate at base, prominently veined and whitish basocentrally; involucral bracts wanting; calyx tubular-campanulate, 4-8 mm long, 5-lobed to below middle, lobes ovate-lanceolate, white with brownish or reddish nerves; petals yellow, obovate, 10-15 mm long, slightly exceeding staminal column; mericarps 3-3.5 mm long, muticous, reddish veined, puberulent; seed obovoid-cuneate, about 2.5 mm long, black, whitish-pubescent about hilum"  (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; pp. 681-681).

Habitat/ecology:  In Guam, "weedy in old fields" (Stone, 1970; p. 413).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  New World tropics and subtropics; cultivated and 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
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 218-219)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 413) Vouchers cited: Stone 3902 (GUAM), G.E.S. 28
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 163)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 36) A common weed in open waste places.

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)	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)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Jalisco
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

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)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Louisiana, Texas
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Control:  If you know of control methods for Malachra capitata, please let us know.