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Useful Tropical Plants

Ageratina riparia

(Regel) R.M.King & H.Rob.

Asteraceae

+ Synonyms

Ageratina repens (B.L.Rob.) R.M.King & H.Rob.

Ageratina ventillana (Cuatrec.) R.M.King & H.Rob.

Eupatorium riparium Regel

Eupatorium riparium Sch.Bip. ex Schnittsp.

Eupatorium ventillanum Cuatrec.

Fleischmannia repens B.L.Rob.

Common Name:

Ageratina riparia
Flowering plant, forming a dense mat of growth
Photograph by: Fagg M.; Australian National Botanic Gardens
Creative Commons License
Ageratina riparia Ageratina riparia Ageratina riparia Ageratina riparia Ageratina riparia Ageratina riparia

General Information

Ageratina riparia is an erect or sprawling, perennial plant growing 50 - 100cm tall. The plant produces creeping stems that root at the nodes, the plant forming a dense mat of interwoven stems[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
,
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. It is grown as a green manure and soil stabilizer, and is widely grown as an ornamental plant.

Known Hazards

The plant is suspected of causing mortality in horses feeding on it in southern Queensland. It is said to cause lung lesions, resulting in chronic eosinophilic bronchiolitis[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Botanical References


Range

Southern N. America - southern Mexico.

Habitat

Naturalized in SE Asia in shaded, humid locations, along watercourses and field boundaries, on slopes, in tea plantations and forest clearings[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.75 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is damaged by frost[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Tolerant of shade[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].
The plant is often grown as an ornamental. It frequently escapes from cultivation and has become naturalized in many parts of the world. It can form dense, quasi monospecific stands which crowd out native plants, limiting their regeneration[
413
Title
Global Invasive Species Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Very detailed information on almost 400 species (with more being added) of plants that have become weeds in areas outside their native range.
]. It has been declared a 'noxious weed' in parts of N. America, and is a troublesome weed in Java, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Australia and Hawaii[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. Each plant may produce up to 100,000 seeds per year, these seeds are very light and easily dispersed by the wind - 75% of fresh seed may germinate within a week. Germination is promoted by light and inhibited by burial. In some wet highland areas the plant has spread into pastures and reduced their carrying capacity considerably[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
]
The plant has allelopathic effects on crops with chemicals from the leaf-litter suppressing the growth of other plants[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]. It is difficult to kill using herbicides only, but it can be controlled by brushing, followed by spraying with a herbicide, burning the area and sowing a leguminous cover crop[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. Biological control using white smut (Entyloma ageratinae) has been effective at elevations of 500 - 2,000 metres in Hawaii[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant has strong antifungal properties[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is used as green material for composting, and also as a cover crop to check erosion on slopes and terrace walls and also check the spread of the noxious weed Imperata cylindrica[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown on the surface and not allowed to dry out. Germination is reduced if the seed is covered by more than a very thin sprinkling of soil[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ageratina+riparia>

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