Pseudelephantopus spiralis (Less.) Cronquist, Asteraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Distreptus spiralis Less.

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Erect, perennial, stoloniferous herb, stems pilose to hirsute. Leaves cauline; petioles indistinct; blades oblanceolate to obovate, acute to obtuse at the apex, attenuate at the base, 3-7 (15) cm long, 1.2-3 (5) cm wide, margins crenate, hispid above, punctate and hispid beneath. Inflorescences racemose-spicate, bracteate, clusters of heads subsessile, 5-10 headed. Heads with 4 florets; phyllaries 8, similar, in 4 pairs, oblong-lanceolate, keeled, 7-8 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, pubescent above middle, tips acuminate. Corollas 6-7 mm long, whitish to blue-purple. Pappus of 4-6 bristles, uniseriate, 4-6 mm long, strongly twisted above the middle, dilated at the base. Achenes 2.5-3 mm long, ribbed, pubescent"  (Macbride, 1980; 5:68).

"Similar to P. spicatus in general aspect, but spreading by conspicuous, long, slender stolons; herbage and inflorescences often more conspicuously pubescent, with more numerous, longer, looser hairs; inflorescence tending to be more compact, not so prominently leafy-bracteate below, and with glomerules more confluent; involucre softer, 7-8 mm high; achenes 3-4 mm long, evidently glandular, otherwise glabrous or minutely hispidulous on ribs; pappus of several slender awns, the larger (or all) loosely spiraled, crisped, or curled in distal half, 3-5 mm long by straight measurement from base to tip, all much softer than the 2 principal awns of P. spicatus"  (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; pp. 352-353).

Habitat/ecology:  A common weed in much of tropical America and into the Lesser Antilles (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; pp. 352-353). Moist uplands in the Galápagos Islands (McMullen, 1999; p. 218).

Propagation:  Seed, stolons.

Native range:  Costa Rica, Panama, West Indies, 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) Floreana Group	Caldwell Island, Floreana Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
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) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santiago Group	Santiago 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)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
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	Macbride, J. Francis (1980) (p. 5:68)

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

Control:  If you know of control methods for Pseudelephantopus spiralis, please let us know.