Devil Weed

Description:

It is a tropical species of flowering shrub in the sunflower family, Asteraceae. It is a rapidly growing perennial herb. It is a multi-stemmed shrub to 2.5 m tall in open areas. It has soft stems but the base of the shrub is woody. In shady areas it becomes etiolated and behaves as a creeper, growing on other vegetation. It can then become up to 10 m tall. The plant is hairy and glandular and the leaves give off a pungent, aromatic odour when crushed. The leaves are opposite, triangular to elliptical with serrated edges. Leaves are 4 - 10 cm long by 1 - 5 cm wide. Leaf petioles are 1 - 4 cm long. The white to pale pink tubular flowers are in panicles of 10 to 35 flowers that form at the ends of branches. The seeds are achenes and are somewhat hairy. They are mostly spread by the wind, but can also cling to fur, clothes and machinery, enabling long distance dispersal. Seed production is about 80 000 - 90 000 per plant. Seeds need light to germinate. The plant can regenerate from the roots. In favorable conditions the plant can grow more than 3 cm a day

Habitat:

It is native to North America, from Florida and Texas to Mexico and the Caribbean, and has been introduced to tropical Asia, west Africa, and parts of Australia.Chromolaena odorata is considered invasive weed of field crops and natural environments in its introduced range. It has been reported to be the most problematic invasive species within protected rainforests in Africa. In Western Africa it prevents regeneration of tree species in areas of shifting cultivation. It affects species diversity in southern Africa. The plants flammability affects forest edges. In Sri Lanka it is a major weed in disturbed areas and coconut plantations.

Notes:

It is sometimes grown as a medicinal and ornamental plant. It is used as a traditional medicine in Indonesia. The young leaves are crushed, and the resulting liquid can be used to treat skin wounds. Other names: Siam Weed, Christmas Bush, Camfhur Grass and Common Floss Flower.