Austroeupatorium, Whiteweed

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Quick Facts

Quick facts

  • Austroeupatorium (Austroeupatorium inulifolium) is native to South America, from Panama to Argentina.
  • It is a scrambling shrub with fragrant small cream tubular flowers.
  • Austroeupatorium is not currently naturalised in mainland Australia.
  • In other countries it is an aggressive species known to rapidly colonise areas cleared for agriculture.

What Does It Look Like?

What is it?

Austroeupatorium (Austroeupatorium inulifolium) is a scrambling shrub that can grow to 5 m high. Its stems have a dense covering of short hairs. The leaves are hairy, opposite and on a stalk. The lance-shaped leaves are 7-18 cm long and 2.5-8 cm wide with toothed margins.

The flowerheads are 2-3 mm wide and contain 8-15 fragrant small cream tubular flowers surrounded by 3-4 bracts (modified leaves). Each flower is up to 5 mm long. The flowerheads occur in irregularly branching clusters.

The seeds form as achenes (fruit) and are ribbed, to 1.5mm long with numerous white hairs (pappus) about 4 mm long at the apex (Hsu et al. 2006).

For further information and assistance with identification of Austroeupatorium inulifolium, contact the herbarium in your state or territory.

Flower colour

White

Growth form (weed type/habit)

Shrub

Where it currently grows? Preferred habitat

Austroeupatorium is a weed of savannas, swamps, forest borders, disturbed areas, including disturbed forest, plantations, perennial crops and roadsides (Thorp & Wilson 1998 – ).

Are there similar species?

Austroeupatorium is not known to be mistaken for any other species in Australia.

Why Is It A Weed?

What are its impacts?

Agriculture: Although Austroeupatorium is not currently naturalised and thus does not yet impact on Australian environments, overseas it is known to be an aggressive species known to rapidly colonise areas cleared for planting new crops and agricultural and fallow fields (Hsu et al. 2006).

The Northern Australian Quarantine Service (NAQS) maintains, and periodically reviews, target lists of exotic invasive species which could enter through Australia's northern border and are serious threats to Australia's productivity, export markets and the environment. Austroeupatorium is on the target list for exotic weeds that could enter into Australia (DAFF 2007).

How does it spread?

Austroeupatorium is spread by wind dispersed seed (Thorp & Wilson 1998 – ).

What is its history in Australia?

Austroeupatorium is not currently naturalised in Australia (Thorp & Wilson 1998 – ).

How To Manage It?

Best practice management

There is currently no information on control methods for Austroeupatorium in Australia.

Does it have a biological control agent?

NO

When does it grow? (lifecycle/growth calendar)

Austroeupatorium flowers throughout the year (Thorp & Wilson 1998 – ).

Where Is It Found?

Which states and territories is it found?

 

What areas within states and territories is it found?

Austroeupatorium is not currently naturalised in Australia. The potential distribution includes the far north of the Northern Territory and Western Australia and the eastern coastline of Queensland and far northern New South Wales (Thorp & Wilson 1998 – ). The only known Australian occurrence has been on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Williams 1994).

Where does it originate?

Austroeupatorium is native of Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands (Thorp & Wilson 1998 – ).

National And State Weed Listings

Is it a Weed of National Significance (WONS)?

NO

Where is it a declared weed?

NT, WA

Government weed strategies and lists – Weeds Australia

Is it on the National Alert List for Environmental Weeds?

NO

Government weed strategies and lists – Weeds Australia

Is it on the Agricultural Sleeper List?

NO

Government weed strategies and lists – Weeds Australia

Names And Taxonomy

Main scientific name

Austroeupatorium inulifolium

Other scientific names (synonyms)?

  • Austroeupatorium inulifolium R.M.King & H.Rob. 
  • Eupatorium inulifolium Kunth

Does it have other known common name(s)?

Whiteweed

Bibliography

Australian Plant Census (2011) available at: Vascular Plants APNI (biodiversity.org.au)

Australia's Virtual Herbarium (AVH) (2007). Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH). Available at: Home - AVH (chah.org.au)

Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) (2007). Target lists of weeds, insects, plant and animal pests and diseases, Northern Australian Qurantine Strategy. Available (updated) at: NAQS target pests, diseases and weeds - DAFF (agriculture.gov.au)

Hsu, T-W., Peng, C-I., & Wang, C-M. (2006). Austroeupatorium inulaefolium (Kunth) King & Robinson (Asteraceae), a newly naturalised plant in Taiwan. Taiwania 51: 41-45.

Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER) (2003). Austroeupatorium inulaefolium. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, US Forest Service. Available at: www.hear.org

Thorp, J.R. & Wilson, M. (1998 - ) Austroeupatorium Austroeupatorium inulaefolium. Weeds Australia, Australian Weeds Committee.

Williams, D.G. (1994). Vegetation and flora of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 404. Smithsonian Institution, Washington.

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