Tuesday, May 7, 2013

When a weed is not a weed

[from Tim]

According to Ann Prescott’s “It’s Blue with Five Petals” the sticky plant with small yellow flowers that we didn’t pull out in the dry frog pond on Sunday is a native plant in the daisy family (Family: Asteraceae , alt. Compositae) - botanical name Sigesbeckia orientalis , common name Indian Weed or Oriental sigesbeckia

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/family.pl?110

daisysig

There is debate about this species being native or introduced, but the SA Herbarium treats this species as native. Also native to Asia and Africa.

http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/speciesfacts_display.cgi?form=speciesfacts&name=Sigesbeckia_orientalis

It’s an interesting plant up close, covered with thousands of small glands, hence its stickiness.

Thanks again for coming along to yesterday’s working bee.

Cheers,
Tim