Torilis arvensis (Huds.) Link, Apiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Caucalis elongata Hoffmanns. & Link; Caucalis purpurea Ten.; Torilis heterophylla Guss.; Torilis homophylla Stapf & Wettst.; Torilis neglecta Spreng.; Torilis radiata Moench

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Canada hedgeparsley, hedge parsley, spreading hedge-parsley

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Erect annual. Stems densely hairy above but glabrous or sparsely hairy near base, solid, striate, 20-60-(100) cm high, sometimes purple tinged; hairs deflexed. Basal leaves densely hairy above and below, 2-pinnate, petiolate; ultimate segments ovate to lanceolate, pinnatifid and serrate, 15-45 mm long, sessile or shortly petiolulate; stem leaves similar to basal, but 1-pinnate or pinnately 3-foliolate toward apex with less divided segments. Umbels 1-4-(5) cm in diameter, long-pedunculate, usually terminal; rays (2)-3-9, 5-20-(30) mm long; bracts 0-1, linear; bracteoles 5-6, linear. Flowers few to numerous, white or tinged pink,c. 2 mm in diameter., irregular. Fruit. ovoid, 3.5-4.5 mm long; all mericarps spinous; spines curved upward, thickened at tip"  (Webb et al., 1988; 138).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand, "waste places, gardens, pasture, forest margins, coastal habitats"  (Webb et al., 1988; 138).

Propagation:  Seed. The abundant bur-like seeds cling tenaciously to animal fur and clothing.

Native range:  Africa, including the Madeira and Canary Islands; Europe; Asia as far east as Pakistan; naturalized in the Azores and elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2002) (p. 5) Voucher cited: Hobdy, R.; S. Perlman & S. Gon 3059 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim (2012) (p. 87) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr 111018-1 (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 138)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

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. (2011)

Additional information:
Information and photos from Illinois Wildflowers.
Information from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Additional online information about Torilis arvensis is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Torilis arvensis as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Torilis arvensis may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. 2002. New Hawaiian plant records for 2000. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2000. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 68:3-18.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim. 2012. New plant records from Maui and Kaho‘olawe. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2011. Part II: Plants. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 113:87-90.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.