Asteraceae
Parthenium

Parthenium hysterophorus L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 988 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical America. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as a poison and a medicine.

Descriptions

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
An annual, diffusely branched herb up to 50 cm tall or more, the stems more or less pubescent; leaves elliptic or obovate in outline, mostly 2–12 cm long, bipinnatifid, pubescent on both sides and densely gland-dotted beneath
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Heads stalked, 3–5 mm in diameter, in loose open panicles; phyllaries in 2 series, ovate, clothed with minute, appressed, yellowish hairs
Morphology General Scales
Scales of the receptacle with glandular margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets and ligules white
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes black, 2 mm long, hairy at the top; pappus of 2 slender recurved awns.
Distribution
Grand Cayman. Throughout the American tropics and subtropics, and introduced into the Old World.
Ecology
A weed of roadsides and open waste ground.
[Cayman]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 2600 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb to 60 cm high; stems puberulous or scabridulous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves elliptic to ovate, bipinnately lobed, 6–30 cm long, 3–10 cm wide, lobes 1.5–4 mm wide and obtuse, puberulous on both surfaces.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula hemispherical, in lax panicles; involucre 2–3 mm long, the phyllaries pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Ray florets 5, whitish, almost round, 0.5–1 mm; disc florets yellowish, narrowly funnel-shaped, ± 2.7 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes black, obovoid, ± 2 mm long, with 2 recurved pappus awns.
Figures
Fig. 177 (page 816).
Habitat
eed of coffee plantations; ± 1600 m
Distribution
pantropical K4
[FTEA]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2600–2600 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0