ERIGERON BONARIENSIS

Family:- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- South American fleabane

Synonyms:- Conyza bonariensis, Erigeron undulatus, Leptilon bonariense,

Marsea bonariensis

Meaning:- Erigeron (Gr) Early-old-man. A name used by the Greek philosopher

Theophrastus for early flowering fleabanes.

Bonariensis (L) From Buenos Aires, Argentina.

General description:- Erect annual, very variable in size.

Stems:-

1) usually 20-80 cm tall, ± pilose, much-branched above.

Leaves:-

1) Numerous, narrow

2) Lower up to 10 x 1 cm, oblanceolate, petiolate, often deciduous.

3) Middle and upper broadly linear, at least the upper sessile.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula, 6-10 mm wide, numerous in a ± pyramidal inflorescence.

2) Involucre, 4-6 mm, greyish-green, hirsute, with red-tipped phyllanes.

3) Receptacle, glabrous.

4) Inner florets, hermaphrodite and tubular, the outer 50-120 female with minute

ligules.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes oblong-elliptical, compressed, 1-1.5 mm.

2) Pappus of whitish hairs, on only one row.

Key features:-

1) Leaves subentire.

2) Terminal inflorescence with up to 30 capitula.

3) Phyllaries red-tipped.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Stony coastal habitats, dry streambeds, ruderal areas in towns and

villages. 0-400(-1200) m.

Distribution:- Native of South America, now almost a cosmopolitan weed in tropical

and warm-temperate areas. Fairly scattered across Crete, but not dominant.

Flowering time:- April-July, and sporadically throughout the year.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton