Eupatorium riparium

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Mistflower

Kingdom:	Plantae
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Eupatorieae
Genus:	Eupatorium
Species:	E. Riparium

Binomial name

Eupatorium Riparium
"R. M. King & H. Rob"

Synonyms

Ageratina riparia

The Mistflower (Eupatorium riparium) is an invasive species of weed native to South America, the lower regions of Mexico, Cuba and Jamaica.

1 Description
2 Naturalism
3 Spreading
4 Uses
5 Ecological Impact
6 Sources

[edit] Description

A low growing, sprawling perennial herb, the Mistflower, often called the "Creeping Croftonweed" is an invasive species of weed that grows up to 40x60cm high. The mistflower stem produce roots at joints that touch the ground. The leaves on average reach 7.5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, is toothed along the edges, and taper at each end. The flowers are white with dense heads at the ends of the branches. The Mistflower's seeds are black, slender, angular, 2 mm long, with fine white hairs at the tip. The mistflower is poisonous for mammals to eat.

[edit] Naturalism

Native to Central America and South America, Central Mexico, Cuba, and Jamaica. It has been introduced to s. Africa, tropical Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canary Islands, Madagascar, Mascarenes, Hawaii, & Peru.

[edit] Spreading

The Mistflower buds from July until August, full flowering occurs in August through October. The seeds it produces are carried by the wind and flowing water.

[edit] Uses

Can be harvested to use as a tanning agent. The Mistflower is commonly used as an ornamental plant.

[edit] Ecological Impact

The Mistflower chokes out native plants in the cloud forests of Sri Lanka, and in pastures and bushlands of other places where it has been introduced with often disastrous effects. It has been reported to have caused lung lesions in horses and to have caused the death of many animals due to habitat loss.