Code
XANST
Growth form
broadleaf
Biological cycle
annual
Habitat
terrestrial
synonym | Xanthium abyssinicum Wallr. |
synonym | Xanthium acerosum Greene |
synonym | Xanthium acutilobum Millsp. & Sherff |
synonym | Xanthium acutum Greene |
synonym | Xanthium affine Greene |
synonym | Xanthium albinum subsp. ripicola (Holub) J. Dostal |
synonym | Xanthium americanum Walt. |
synonym | Xanthium americanum Walter |
synonym | Xanthium arcuatum Millsp. & Sherff |
synonym | Xanthium arenarium Lasch |
synonym | Xanthium aridum H.St.John |
synonym | Xanthium barcinonense Sennen |
synonym | Xanthium brevirostre Hochst. |
synonym | Xanthium brevirostre Wallr. |
synonym | Xanthium bubalocarpon Bush |
synonym | Xanthium californicum var. rotundifolium Widder |
synonym | Xanthium calvum Millsp. & Sherff |
synonym | Xanthium campestre Greene |
synonym | Xanthium cenchroides Millsp. & Sherff |
synonym | Xanthium chasei Fernald |
synonym | Xanthium chinense Mill. |
synonym | Xanthium chinense var. globuliforme C.Shull |
synonym | Xanthium chinese |
synonym | Xanthium cloessplateaum D.Z.Ma |
synonym | Xanthium commune Britton |
synonym | Xanthium cordifolium Stokes |
synonym | Xanthium crassifolium Millsp. & Sherff |
synonym | Xanthium cuneatum Moench |
synonym | Xanthium curvescens Millsp. & Sherff |
synonym | Xanthium cylindraceum Millsp. & Sherff |
synonym | Xanthium cylindricum Millsp. & Sherff |
synonym | Xanthium decalvatum Widder |
synonym | Xanthium discolor Wallr. |
synonym | Xanthium echinatum Murray |
synonym | Xanthium echinatum subsp. italicum (Moretti) O.Bolòs & J. Vigo |
synonym | Xanthium echinatum var. cavanillesii (Schouw) O.Bolòs & J. Vigo |
synonym | Xanthium echinatum var. italicum (Moretti) O.Bolòs & J. Vigo |
synonym | Xanthium echinellum Greene |
synonym | Xanthium echinellum Greene ex Rydb. |
synonym | Xanthium fuscescens Jord. & Fourr. |
synonym | Xanthium glabratum (DC.) Britton |
synonym | Xanthium glanduliferum Greene |
synonym | Xanthium globosum C.Shull |
synonym | Xanthium homothalamum Spreng. |
synonym | Xanthium inaequilaterum DC. |
synonym | Xanthium indicum DC. |
synonym | Xanthium indicum Klatt |
synonym | Xanthium indicum Koen. ex Roxb. |
synonym | Xanthium indicum var. inaequilaterum (DC.) Miq. |
synonym | Xanthium inflexum Mack. & Bush |
synonym | Xanthium italicum var. albinum Widder |
synonym | Xanthium japonicum Widder |
synonym | Xanthium leptocarpum Millsp. & Sherff |
synonym | Xanthium longirostre Wallr. |
synonym | Xanthium macounii Britton |
synonym | Xanthium macrocarpum var. glabratum DC. |
synonym | Xanthium mongolicum Kitag. |
synonym | Xanthium monoicum Gilib. |
synonym | Xanthium natalense Widder |
synonym | Xanthium nigri Ces. |
synonym | Xanthium occidentale Bertol. |
synonym | Xanthium oligacanthum Piper |
synonym | Xanthium orientale f. laciniatum (Pouzolz) Thell. ex Widder |
synonym | Xanthium orientale var. albinum (Widder) Adema & M.T.Jansen |
synonym | Xanthium orientale var. riparium (Itzigs. & Hertsch) Adema & M. T. Jansen |
synonym | Xanthium oviforme Wallr. |
synonym | Xanthium pennsylvanicum Gand. |
synonym | Xanthium pungens var. cylindricum (Millsp. & Sherff) Widder |
synonym | Xanthium pungens var. denudatum Widder |
synonym | Xanthium pungens var. globosum (Shull) Widder |
synonym | Xanthium riparium Lasché |
synonym | Xanthium ripicola J. Holub |
synonym | Xanthium roxburghii Wallr. |
synonym | Xanthium saccharatum subsp. aciculare Widder |
synonym | Xanthium saccharatum subsp. commune (Britton) Widder |
synonym | Xanthium sibiricum var. subinerme (C.Winkl.) Widder |
synonym | Xanthium speciosum Kearney |
synonym | Xanthium sphaerocephalum Salzm. ex Ball |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium f. purpurascens S. Priszter |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium f. strumarium |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium subsp. italicum (Moretti) D.Löve |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. arenarium (Lasch) Uechtritz |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. canadense (Mill.) Torr. & A.Gray |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. glabratum (DC.) Cronquist |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. hausmanni Widder |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. inaequilaterale (DC.) C.B.Clarke |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. indicum (koenig ex Roxb.) Debeaux |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. oviforme (Wallr.) M.Peck |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. pensylvanicum (Wallr.) M.Peck |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. strumarium |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. subinerme C.Winkl. ex Widder |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. wootonii (Cockerell) M.Peck |
synonym | Xanthium strumarium var. wootonii W.C.Martin & C.R.Hutchins |
synonym | Xanthium varians Greene |
synonym | Xanthium wootoni Cockerell ex de Vries |
synonym | Xanthium wootonii Cockerell |
Afrikaans |
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Arabic |
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Creoles and pidgins; French-based |
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English |
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French |
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Malagasy |
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Sotho, Southern |
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Tsonga |
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Global description
Xanthium strumarium is a herbaceous to sub-woody annual plant, much branched, growing up to 2 m tall. The erect stems are brownish or reddish-brown, often red-spotted, ribbed and roughly-hairy but without spines. The leaves, borne on stalks, are simple, broad-ovate to triangular, 3-5-lobed, dull green, with serrated margins and short bristly hairs on both sides, they are scabrous on the upper face, and slightly cordate at base. The upper leaf surface is darker than the underside and prominently 3-veined with purplish veins. The creamy or yellowish green flowers are inconspicuous, unisexual, and arranged in terminal and axillary heads. The fruit is an ellipsoid brownish bur, crowned with two stout horns and covered with hooked spines.
Cotyledons
Cotyledons are elliptical to linear, very large, 35-60 mm long and 6-10 mm wide. They are fleshy, glabrous, with a visible main vein and a short, canaliculate petiole that is sheathing at the base. The margin is entire.
First leaves
The first leaves are simple and opposite, borne on a long stalk. The primordial leaves are oval-lanceolate, with a toothed margin. The following leaves are triangular, deeply toothed to almost lobed, covered with stubby, stiff, flattened hairs. The upper surface is scabrous. The hypocotyledonous axis is developed, thick, and often coloured pink near the collar. The seedling is greyish green and rough to the touch.
General habit
A much branched annual bushy herb, growing up to 1-2 m tall.
Underground system
Taproot system
Stem
The branches are without spines. The erect stems are brownish or reddish-brown, often red-spotted, ribbed and roughly-hairy.
Leaves
Leaves borne on petioles, 2-12 cm long. Simple, broadly deltate, up to 18 cm long x 18 cm wide, 3-5-lobed, base usually cordate in outline at the base, dull green, with serrated margins and short bristly hairs on both sides. The upper leaf surface is darker than the underside and prominently 3-veined with purplish veins, nd hardly scabrous. The leaves are opposite at the base of the plant and alternate in the upper portion.
Inflorescence
The flowers are unisexual with separate male and female flowers on the same plant. The male flowers are clustered in capitulums at the end of the branches or in the upper leaf forks; the female flower occur in the leaf junctions.
Flower
Male flowers are cream to creamy green. Female flowers are yellowish green to brownish. The corolla is tubular; stamens free. In stalked axillary clusters. The female heads consist of two pistillate flowers surrounded by a spiny involucre.
Fruit
Upon fruiting, the two female flowers ripen into two brown to black achenes, one larger than the other, and they are completely enveloped by the involucre, which becomes an ellipsoid bur, 8-18 mm long and 6-12 mm width (comprising hooked spines) green at first, it turns yellowish then brow; it bears two stout, curved or straight horns at the top (2,5- 4 mm long) and numerous spines with hooked tips 3-4 mm long (shorter than fruit diameter). One bur contains 2 compartments with one seed each.
Seed
One achene per floret, two per bur; 1-1.3 cm long and 4-5 mm width; dark-brown, oblong and flattened with pointed apex, no pappus; seeds germinate in successive years.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Algeria: Xanthium strumarium germinates in late spring and summer; flowering takes place from June to October.
Brazil: Fruiting is very dependent on the photoperiod. The plant does not flower when the days are long, and fruiting only begins in autumn when the days become shorter. Plants that germinate late in the season may flower and set fruit even though they are only 10 cm tall.
China: X. strumarium flowers from July to August and bears fruit from September to October.
Madagascar: Xanthium strumarium is an early cycle species with fast growth; it flowers and fruits at the beginning of December till end of February
New Caledonia: This annual plant reproduces by seeds that have the characteristics of not germinating at the same time, some at the next rainy season, others remain dormant. Fruits are adapted to be carried by clinging to animals. They are also found in the gravel taken from rivers. Fruits can also float. Germination takes place in the beginning of the rainy season, growth is rapid and new fruits are produced in the month of March. The plant dies in the dry season.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Xanthium strumarium can easily be confused with X. orientale var. italicum. These two species are quite similar at the vegetative stage, but differ mainly at the fruiting stage. X. strumarium has leaves with a slightly cordate base, and a fruiting involucre 8 to 18 mm long and 6 to 12 mm in diameter (including spines) with lateral spines shorter than the diameter of the fruit and straight apical tips 2.5 to 4 mm long, whereas X. orientale var. italicum has leaves that are generally wedge-shaped at the base and a larger fruiting involucre 17 to 25 mm long and 7 to 15 mm in diameter with lateral spines as long as the diameter of the fruit and straight, divergent apical tips 5 to 12 mm long.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Xanthium strumarium is a C3 species.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Xanthium strumarium grows on the banks of rivers or in dry riverbeds, along beaches and in flood plains on damp sandy soil, is a ruderal species in villages and along roadsides and a weed in cultivated plots, wasteland and grassland on heavy, damp clay soils. It thrives on moist or seasonally wet alkaline soils, from sea level to altitudes of 2,000 m. It is found mainly in temperate regions, but also in subtropical and Mediterranean climates. It prefers open communities and disappears if it is in the shade or in a situation of strong competition.
Algeria: Xanthium strumarium is a fairly common species in various summer annual crops (especially market gardening) and perennial crops (especially citrus groves), as well as along irrigation canals in the north of the country, as confirmed by the profusion of vernacular names. Preference for filtering, sandy to silty-sandy soils, fairly rich in nitrogen.
Brazil: Xanthium strumarium is a fairly common species in the southern and south-eastern regions of Brazil. It is a weed that can be invasive in annual crops grown in moist soil.
Camargue - France: X. strumarium is a ruderal nitrophilous species, abundant in areas frequented by cattle, wasteland and pastures.
China: X. strumarium is a common weed that develops in wet or seasonally wet, often alkaline soils. It thrives on wasteland and at the edges of agricultural plots.
Madagascar: Xanthium strumarium grows on ferralitic soils, more or less humiferous, rich, in sunny places. It is a weed of maize and semi-intensive vegetable cultivations. It is also present in the waste land around the houses, roadsides and in cultivated plots in the regions of the central highlands and the Middle East.
Morocco: Xanthium strumarium is a fairly common species. It grows in crops, fallow land and pastures on fairly damp sand.
South Africa: X. strumarium can be very abundant on the banks of watercourses, especially in the Kruger National Park.
West Indies: X. strumarium is an infrequent, very localised ruderal species found at altitudes of between 0 and 50 m.
Zimbabwe: X. strumarium grows on the banks of watercourses and in cultivated plots on heavy clay soils with high water retention.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Origin
Xanthium strumarium is native to the Mediterranean basin, as far south as Asia.
Worldwide distribution
This species is widespread throughout the world, especially in temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical zones: Europe, Asia, North America, East and South Africa, the Indian Ocean islands (Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Rodrigues), India, Pakistan, the Middle East, China, Japan, South-East Asia, the Pacific islands and Australia.
Algeria: Species present in Oranie.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
General harmfulness
Xanthium strumarium is considered a major weed in 28 countries. It is one of the 300 major invasive species in tropical Australia, the Indian Ocean and Oceania.
Local harmfulness
Algeria : Xanthium strumarium is a minor "weed". Uncommon and not very abundant, it does not generally constitute a nuisance for the crop.
Madagascar: Xanthium strumarium is a recently introduced species and is naturalized in the highlands of Madagascar (above 900 m), yet infrequent but abundant when present and constantly expanding. It is a fast growing species and dispersed by animals and humans: manual weeding may be of limited effectiveness due to the germination which can vary with the rainfall. This is a locally abundant weed in the volcanic area in crop systems of Highlands (Vakinakaratra and Itasy) culture system based on corn and vegetable crops.
New Caledonia: It is common along rivers and roads and is able to invade the neighboring areas of pastures if they are prone to flooding. The soil seed bank is persistent (in Australia a 99% reduction of viable seed bank requires 6 years).
South Africa: It is found in the eastern part of the country, particularly throughout the Kruger National Park along water courses. It is considered a category 1 weed. It contaminates sheep wool and is considered a major weed of maize, very competitive and difficult to manage. It readily invades overgrazed pastures and spreads at the expense of the indigenous species.
Zimbabwe: Xanthium strumarium is an invasive species along watercourses, tracksides and heavy soil plots, especially in the Gonarezhou National Park and Malipati village area where it was first recorded in 1987. The infestation is favoured by the grazing of cattle in the dry season in the cultivated plots. Cattle going to drink at waterholes carry into the plots the fruits which cling to the fleece of the animals. This species can form very high density populations.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Xanthium%2520strumarium
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Magnoliopsida |
Order | Asterales |
Family | Asteraceae |
Genus | Xanthium |
Species | Xanthium strumarium L. |