Ageratina adenophora from Morni hills, Haryana

Gurcharan Singh

unread,

Apr 15, 2011, 11:07:27 PM4/15/11

to efloraofindia

Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) R. M. King & H. Rob., Phytologia 19:211. 1970

syn: Eupatorium adenophorum Spreng.; Ageratina trapezoidea (Kunth) R. M. King & H. Rob.; Eupatorium glandulosum Michx.; Eupatorium trapezoideum Kunth

Perennial coarse herb; leaves opposite, ovate-deltoid, up to 10 cm long, 4-7 cm broad with broadly cuneate or truncate base, sparsely pilose on both surfaces, 3-nerved, margins crenate, on 4-5 cm long petiole; Heads white 6-8 mm long, 5-6 mm across, in loose compound corymbs, receptacle glabrous,; achenes black, 1.5 mm long, 5-angular, glabrous; pappus of 8-10 bristles.

Native of Mexico, California and the West Indies, widely naturalised in tropical to subtropical areas. Photographed from Morni hills at about 1200 m on April 9, 2011.

Common names: catweed, Crofton weed, croftonweed, hemp-agrimony, Maui pamakani, Mexican-devil, sticky-agrimony

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

Ageratina adenophora-Morni-1.jpg

Ageratina adenophora-Morni-2.jpg

Ageratina adenophora-Morni-3.jpg

Dinesh Valke

unread,

Apr 15, 2011, 11:31:43 PM4/15/11

to Gurcharan Singh, efloraofindia

... looks confusingly closer to Chromolaena odorata.
Gurcharan ji ... any clear visual key to separate the species ?

Regards.
Dinesh

tanay bose

unread,

Apr 15, 2011, 11:47:46 PM4/15/11

to Dinesh Valke, Gurcharan Singh, efloraofindia

Great question Dinesh Ji

I too have the same question

Tanay

--

Tanay Bose

Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant.
Department of Botany.
University of British Columbia .
3529-6270 University Blvd.
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (Canada)
Phone: 778-323-4036 (Mobile)

604-822-2019 (Lab)

604-822-6089 (Fax)

ta...@interchange.ubc.ca

Webpages:

http://www.botany.ubc.ca/people/mberbee.html

http://www.botany.ubc.ca/people/gradstud.html

https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/

Gurcharan Singh

unread,

Apr 16, 2011, 12:11:23 AM4/16/11

to tanay bose, Dinesh Valke, efloraofindia

Dinesh ji and Tanay

I have seen both and can say they are miles different. I had seen this plant earlier many times mostly in vegetative condition and always thought it to a be some shrub, with leaves much larger and broader than Chromolaena odorata. The inflorescence is also much different, an erect spreading panicle in Ageratina.

To me they are so different that I never thought the two can be confused.

These are Chromolaena odorata

http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/natres/weeds/alerts/index.html

http://toptropicals.com/pics/garden/05/23/3764.jpg

http://toptropicals.com/pics/garden/05/23/3765.jpg

and these Ageratina adenophora

http://www.lookfordiagnosis.com/images.php?term=Ageratina&lang=4&from3=32&from2=24

http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:Ageratina_adenophora_(Habitus).jpg&filetimestamp=20080403122255

http://www.sfwma.org/ageratinaadenophora.html

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

tanay bose

unread,

Apr 16, 2011, 12:24:04 AM4/16/11

to Gurcharan Singh, Dinesh Valke, efloraofindia

Thanks Sir Ji

Tanay

Gurcharan Singh

unread,

Apr 16, 2011, 12:38:37 AM4/16/11

to tanay bose, Dinesh Valke, efloraofindia

I could find these differences

Ageratina: Phyllaries persistent, 8–30 in 2(–3) series, 0- or 2-nerved, lanceolate to linear, ± equal (herbaceous). Florets 10–60; corollas white or lavender, throats obconic to campanulate (lengths 1.5–2 times diams.); styles: bases sometimes enlarged, glabrous, branches linear, seldom distally dilated.

Chromolaena: Phyllaries usually readily falling (at least in fruit), 18–65+ in 4–6+ series, 3–5-nerved, ovate to oblong or lanceolate, unequal (papery or herbaceous), outer shorter. Florets [6–]15–40[–75]; corollas white or purple to blue, lavender, or reddish, throats cylindric (lengths 3–4 times diams.); styles: bases not enlarged, glabrous, branches linear to linear-clavate.

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

Dinesh Valke

unread,

Apr 16, 2011, 12:44:35 AM4/16/11

to Gurcharan Singh, tanay bose, efloraofindia

Many many thanks Gurcharan ji for the clarity.
Will attempt to put comparative pictures in a separate post.

Regards.
Dinesh

Vijayasankar

unread,

Apr 16, 2011, 1:07:23 AM4/16/11

to Dinesh Valke, Gurcharan Singh, tanay bose, efloraofindia

Dinesh ji, if you want a shortcut:

Ageratina adenophora ALWAYS occurs in higher altitudes, whereas, Chromolaena odorata is usually found in plains (may be with some exceptions).
A.a. has purplish stems and petioles, while C.o. is generally green throughout.
A. adenophora can also be distinguished by its leaves which as triangular (deltoid) in outline with a more or less truncate (straight) base (except subcuneate at petiole).
Hope Gurcharan ji agrees with these (somewhat nontechnical differences).

Regards

Vijayasankar Raman
National Center for Natural Products Research
University of Mississippi

Gurcharan Singh

unread,

Apr 16, 2011, 1:15:05 AM4/16/11

to Vijayasankar, Dinesh Valke, tanay bose, efloraofindia

You are absolutely right Vijayasankar ji.

I had seen this plant many a times, mostly as vegetative plant, and always thought it to be a low shrub.

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

Dinesh Valke

unread,

Apr 16, 2011, 1:47:15 AM4/16/11

to Gurcharan Singh, Vijayasankar, tanay bose, efloraofindia

Thank you very very much: Gurcharan ji and Vijayasankar ji for making it easier for me to understanding the difference between C. odorata & A. adenophora

Have put comparative pictures in a separate post at https://groups.google.com/d/topic/indiantreepix/1q-MxdiplDs/discussion

Regards.
Dinesh.

Muthu Karthick

unread,

Apr 20, 2011, 1:24:01 AM4/20/11

to Dinesh Valke, Gurcharan Singh, Vijayasankar, tanay bose, efloraofindia

Dear all,

This is an earlier discussion where one of my plant got identified as Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) R.King & H. Robinson.: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/indiantreepix/Eupatorium/indiantreepix/IUal4Bad-c4/tzIwqiNkxeUJ

--
Muthu Karthick, N
Care Earth Trust

#15, second main road,

Thillai ganga nagar,
Chennai - 600 061

Mob: 0091 96268 33911
www.careearthtrust.org

Gurcharan Singh

unread,

Apr 20, 2011, 7:11:55 AM4/20/11

to Muthu Karthick, Dinesh Valke, Vijayasankar, tanay bose, efloraofindia

Yes Muthu ji

Then also we compared it a lot with Chromolaena odorata, till Vijayasankar ji sorted it out as Eupatorium glandulosum: now correctly known as Ageratina adenophora.

My Chromolaena frustrata from Delhi still remains unresolved.

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

Reply all

Reply to author

Forward