Praxelis clematidea R.M.King & H.Rob.

Asteraceae

King, R.M. & Robinson, H.E. (1970) Phytologia 20(3): 194.

Praxelis

Stems 30-100 cm tall with the leafy twigs clothed in hairs.

Leaf blades 20-80 x 12-52 mm, clothed in hairs and gland-dotted especially on the lower surface. Petioles 4-20 mm long. Leaves and twigs emit an unpleasant odour resembling cat's urine when crushed.

Each flower head subtended by bracts about 5 mm long. Flowers 25-30 per flower head. Each flower about 2 mm diam. Calyx, i.e. pappus, about 4 mm long. Corolla 4-4.5 mm long, lower half white, upper half purple. Anthers fused together, each anther about 1.5 mm long, filaments about 2 mm long. Ovary about 2 mm long. Style + stigma about 7 mm long.

Fruits 2.5-3 mm long and the pappus persistent, 4-4.5 mm long. Embryo about 2 mm long, the cotyledons about 1 mm long and the radicle also about 1 mm long. Seeds black, 2.5-3 mm long with a pale tuft of finely barbed bristles, 3-4 mm long.

Cotyledons ca. 5 x 4 mm, petiole ca. 5 mm long. First leaf hairy, toothed 5-9 x 2-3 mm. Tenth leaf stage, blades 5.4-6 x 2.5 cm, toothed, petioles 12 mm long. Growth bud hairy. Whole seedling hairy. Seed germination time 17 days.

An introduced species originally from South America, now naturalised in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far as south-eastern Queensland. Altitudinal range 0-800 m. Found in rainforest margins, open Eucalypt forest, notophyll vine forest, deciduous vine thicket and in various types of woodland.

A highly invasive weed.

Eupatorium catarium Veldk., Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 51: 119-124(1999), Type: Syntypes: Balanza 936 (GOET?, P?, n.v.), Lorentz s.n. Cordoba (GOET?. n.v.). Eupatorium clematideum Griseb., Jahresbericht der Pollichia 22-24: 258(1866), Type: Hieronymus & Lorentz s.n.; Dec1872-Jan73; Argentina.