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You are viewing an archived site. The Chesapeake Bay Introduced Species Database project ended in 2020 and the database is no longer receiving updates. Learn more…
Image of Eclipta prostrata

Eclipta prostrata

Plants

False Daisy

False Daisies have small round white flowers and grow in wet disturbed areas. They are widespread in the tropics and are sometimes a crop weed. With such a wide distribution it’s difficult to know their origin or means of introduction. Because some reports consider them native to North America and others say they are native to Asia, we consider them cryptogenic (status unknown). False Daisies were present in the Southeastern US from Virginia to Florida in the 1700s and from western Pennsylvania and Ohio southward starting in the late 1800s. In all, they have been found on all continents except Antarctica and are considered a weed in 35 countries. If they were introduced to North America, dry ballast (rocks, etc. used to weight sailing vessels in the 1600 and 1700s) seems to be a likely vector. They are included here because they occur in the upper edge of fresh-brackish tidal wetland environments in Chesapeake Bay.

Image Credit: Forest & Kim Starr

Description Taxonomy Invasion History Ecology Impacts References

Description

Synonymy- The name 'Eclipta prostrata' may refer to a complex of multiple species (Gleason 1963).


Taxonomy

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Plantae Magnoliophyta Magnoliopsida Asterales Asteraceae Eclipta

Synonyms

Eclipta alba; Eclipta procumbens; Eclipta brachypoda; Eclipta erecta; Verbesina alba

Invasion History

Chesapeake Bay Status

First Record Population Range Introduction Residency Source Region Native Region Vectors
1739 Established Stable Cryptogenic Boundary Resident Unknown-Continental Unknown-Continental Shipping(Dry Ballast), Agriculture(Agricultural Weed)

History of Spread

Eclipta prostrata (False Daisy) is frequently regarded as native to North America (Fernald 1950; Robinson and Fernald (1908), but other authors have treated it as a native of Asia (Holm et al. 1977), or of the New World Tropics (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Cook (1985) lists it among 'aquatic plants that are widely distributed around the world and whose original range is unknown.' It was present very early in the Southeast (Carolinas; Walter 1784; VA to FL; Pursh 1814). Gray (1848) recorded the range as 'W. Penn. and Ohio southward'; Robinson and Fernald (1908) as 'Mass. westward and southward. Introduced in Northeast'. It is now found from MA to FL, and westward to MN, SD, and across the southwest to CA (Natural Resources Conservation Service 1998; Zedler and Beare 1986). Eclipta prostrata has been found on dry ballast in Boston (Perkins 1883) and New York (Brown 1878). It is found on all continents except Antarctica and is reported as a weed in 35 countries (Holm et al. 1977).

This species was collected by Clayton in the 1730's and by Pursh in 1806 in VA (Gronovius 1739; Pursh 1814; Reveal 1983), although it was not among pre-1753 colonial herbarium specimens collected in MD (Brown et al. 1987). Brown and Brown (1984) regard it as introduced to MD. However, it was present by the 1830's in Washington D.C. (Brereton 1830) and Baltimore (Aikin 1837). Its behavior in Washington DC was described as: 'This plant behaves like an introduced weed, tending to invade the streets and gutters' (Ward 1881). In the 20th century, it was described as 'common throughout Maryland' (Brown and Brown 1984; Shreve et al. 1910). Eclipta prostrata has been reported from the upper edge of fresh-brackish tidal wetland environments in a number of locations, including Pocomoke Swam, MD-VA (Beaven and Oosting 1939), Muddy Creek, Rhode River MD (Higman 1968), Brent Marsh, Stafford County VA, Potomac) (Strong and Kelloff 1994), and many other similar sites (Erlanson 1924; Redmond 1932; Wass 1972).

History References - Aikin 1837; Brereton 1830; Brown and Brown 1984; Brown 1879; Brown et al. 1987; Cook 1985; Erlanson 1924; Fernald 1950; Gleason 1963; Gray 1848; Gronovius 1739; Harvill et al. 1992; Higman 1968; Holm et al. 1977; Natural Resources Conservation Service 1998; Pursh 1814; Redmond 1932; Reveal 1983; Robinson and Fernald 1908; Shreve et al. 1910; Strong and Kelloff 1994; Wass 1972; Walter 1788; Zedler and Beare 1986

Invasion Comments

Ecology

Environmental Tolerances

For SurvivalFor Reproduction
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Temperature (ºC)
Salinity (‰) 0.0 0.0 16.0
Oxygen
pH
Salinity Range fresh-meso

Age and Growth

Male Female
Minimum Adult Size (mm)
Typical Adult Size (mm)
Maximum Adult Size (mm)
Maximum Longevity (yrs)
Typical Longevity (yrs

Reproduction

Start Peak End
Reproductive Season
Typical Number of Young
Per Reproductive Event
Sexuality Mode(s)
Mode(s) of Asexual
Reproduction
Fertilization Type(s)
More than One Reproduction
Event per Year
Reproductive Startegy
Egg/Seed Form

Impacts

Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay

Eclipta prostrata (False Daisy) is rare in tidal Chesapeake wetlands and apparently has no reported impacts in the Bay, but is a common upland weed (Brown and Brown 1984).

References- Brown and Brown 1984


Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay

Eclipta prostrata (False Daisy) is included in the book 'The World's Worst Weeds:' 'It has never been reported to be a serious weed, but it is troublesome in several crops' (Holm et al. 1977). This plant is being investigated for interesting pharmacological properties, including counteracting snake venom (See Biological Abstracts 1993-1996).


Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species

Eclipta prostrata (False Daisy) is rare in tidal Chesapeake wetlands and apparently has no reported impacts on native biota in the Bay, but is a common upland weed (Brown and Brown 1984).

References- Brown and Brown 1984


Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species

Eclipta prostrata (False Daisy) is rare in tidal Chesapeake wetlands and apparently has no reported impacts on exotic biota in the Bay, but is a common upland weed (Brown and Brown 1984).

References- Brown and Brown 1984


References

Aikin, W. E. A. (1837) Catalogue of phenogamous plants and ferns, native or naturalized, growing in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland., Transactions of the Maryland Academy of Sciences and Literature 1: 55-91

Beaven, George F.; Oostng, Henry J. (1939) Pocomoke Swamp: a study of a cypress swamp on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Bulletn of the Torrey Botanical Club :

Brereton, J. A. (1830) Prodromus of the Flora Columbiana, , Washington, D.C.. Pp.

Brown, Addison (1879) Ballast plants in New York City and its vicinity, Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 6: 353-360

Brown, Melvin L.; Brown, Russell G. (1984) Herbaceous Plants of Maryland, , College Park. Pp.

Brown, Melvin L.; Reveal, J. L; Broome, C. R.; Frick, George F. (1987) Comments on the vegetation of colonial Maryland, Huntia 7: 247-283

Cook, Christopher D. K. (1985) Range extensions of aquatic vascular plant species, Journal of Aquatic Plant Management 23: 1-6

Erlanson, Eileen (1924) The flora of the Peninsula of Virginia, Papers of the Michigan Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters 4: 115-182

Fernald, Merritt L. (1950) Gray's Manual of Botany, In: (Eds.) . , New York. Pp.

Gleason, Henry A. (1963) The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, In: (Eds.) . , New York. Pp.

Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur (1991) Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, In: (Eds.) . , Bronx, New York. Pp.

Godfrey, R. K.; Wooten, Jean W. (1981) Aquatic and Wetland Plants of the Southeastern United States: Dicotyledones, , Athens. Pp.

Gray, Asa (1848) A manual of botany of the northern United States., In: (Eds.) . , Boston. Pp.

Gronovius, Johannes Fredericius (1739) Flora Virginica exhibens plantas quas V. C. Johannes Clayton in Virginia observavit atque collegit., , London. Pp.

Harvill, A. M.; Bradley, Ted R.; Stevens, Charles E.; Wieboldt, Thomas F.; Ware, Donna M. E.; Ogle, Douglas W.; Ramsey, Gwynn W.; Fleming, Gary P. (1992) Atlas of the Virginia Flora, , Burkeville, VA. Pp.

Higman, Daniel (1968) An ecologically annotated checklst of the vascular flora at the Chesapeake Bay Center for Field Biology., In: (Eds.) . , Washington, D.C.. Pp.

Holm, Leroy G.; Plucknett, Donald L.; Pancho, Juan V.; Herberger, James P. (1977) The World's Worst Weeds - Distribution and Biology., In: (Eds.) . , Honolulu. Pp.

Kartesz, John T. (1994) A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland., In: (Eds.) . , Portland OR. Pp.

1997-2024 USDA PLANTS Database.. Onine databse

Perkins, Charles E. (1883) Ballast plants in Boston and vicinity, Botanical Gazette 8: 188-190

Pursh, Frederick (1814) Flora Americae Septentrionalis or, a Systematic Arrangement and Description of the Plants of North America, , Hirschburg. Pp.

Redmond, Paul J. (1932) A flora of Worcester County, Maryland, Contributions from the Biological Laboratory of the Catholic University of America 11: 1-104

Resource Management Inc. (1993) National list of plant species that occur in wetlands., , Minneapolis.. Pp.

Reveal, James L. (1983) Significance of pre-1753 botanical explorations in temperate North America on Linnaeus' first edition of Species Plantarum, Phytologia 53: 1-96

Robinson, Benjamin Lincoln; Fernald, Merrit L. (1908) Gray's New Manual of Botany., , New York. Pp.

Shreve, Forrest M.; Chrysler, M. A.; Blodgett, Frederck H.; Besley, F. W. (1910) The Plant Life of Maryland, , Baltmore. Pp.

Strong, Mark T.; Kelloff, Carol L. (1994) Intertidal vascular plants of Brent Marsh, Potomac River, Stafford County, Virginia, Castanea 59: 354-366

Walter, Thomas (1788) Flora Caroliniana, , London. Pp.

Wass, Melvin L. (1972) A checklist of the biota of lower Chesapeake Bay, Special Scientific Report, Virginia Institute of Marine Science 65: 1-290

Zedler, Joy B.; Beare, Pamela A. (1986) Temporal variability of salt marsh vegetation: the role of low-salinity gaps and environmental stress., , London. Pp. 295-307


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