Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Senecio vulgaris
L., Asteraceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: common groundsel, groundsel, old-man-in-the-Spring

French: sénecon vulgaire

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annuals, (10-) 20-50 (-60+) cm (taprooted). Herbage glabrous or sparsely and unevenly tomentose when young. Stems usually 1. Leaves evenly distributed; petiolate; blades ovate to oblanceolate, 2-10 x 0.5-2 (-4) cm, bases tapered, margins lobulate to dentate, ultimate margins often secondarily dentate to denticulate (distal leaves sessile). Heads 8-20 in loose, corymbiform arrays. Calyculi of 2-4(-6+) bractlets (prominent, black-tipped, lengths about 1/4 phyllaries). Phyllaries ± 21, 4-6 mm, tips usually green, sometimes black. Ray florets 0. Cypselae usually sparsely hairy, sometimes nearly glabrous"  (Flora of North America online).

Habitat/ecology:  In North America, "disturbed sites; 1-1000 m. Particularly abundant in southern areas of cool damp winters or northern areas of cool damp summers"  (Flora of North America online).  In New Zealand, "waste places, cultivated land, gardens, riverbeds and stony sites, from coastal areas to 700 m"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 277).  "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. Dry, arid areas, with long drought periods of 6-10 months, precipitations of 100-300 mm. are concentrated in winter; somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months, precipitations of 400-800 mm. are concentrated in winter; humid areas, with almost constant rainfall, short dry periods are possible (generally not longer than 1 month). Fully exposed to the sun, level areas or slopes facing north; some shadow,s ome protection against direct sunlight, some shadow from vegetation, filtering about 20-40% of light"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Canary Islands, northern Africa, Europe, Asia; naturalized elsewhere, exact native range obscure (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. 557)
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island) introduced
invasive
Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island) introduced
invasive
Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 557)
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Morro El Verdugo introduced
invasive
Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 557)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Hawai‘i (Big) Island introduced
invasive
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 356)
Voucher cited: Ewart III 178 (BISH)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island introduced
invasive
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 356)
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)
"Weed of disturbed sites".
Australia
Australia (continental)
Australia (continental) introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland introduced
invasive
National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013)
"Weed of disturbed sites".
British Columbia (province of Canada)
Province of British Columbia
Canada (British Columbia) probably introduced
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
China
China
China (People's Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan
Japan
Japan introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Honshu
Japan
Japan
Japan introduced
Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 190)
North Korea
North Korea
North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South Korea
South Korea
South Korea (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States) introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand (country) introduced
invasive
Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 277)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Chile (Republic of) introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Chile (Republic of) introduced
invasive
Belov, Michail (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Colombia introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Ecuador (Republic of) (continental) introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Perú (Republic of) introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan
Taiwan Island
Taiwan Island   Ching-I Peng, ed. (2013)
Around villages, 2,000-2,500 m.
United States (west coast)
United States (west coast states)
USA (Oregon) probably introduced
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
United States (west coast)
United States (west coast states)
USA (California) probably introduced
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
United States (west coast)
United States (west coast states)
USA (Washington) probably introduced
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Canada
Canada
Canada probably introduced
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states)
United States (other states) introduced
U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states)
USA (Florida) probably introduced
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Senecio vulgaris, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 14 FEB 2011 and was last updated on 23 AUG 2011.