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consumption-weed, eastern baccharis, eastern false willow, sea-myrtle

Encinitas baccharis, Encinitas false willow or baccharis, encinitis false willow

Habit Shrubs or trees, 100–300(–600) cm (freely branched). Shrubs, 50–200 cm (sprawling, densely stemmed from crowns, broomlike).
Stems

erect to ascending, slender, striate-angled, glabrous or minutely scurfy, sometimes resinous.

erect, slender, rounded, smooth, glabrous or stipitate-glandular proximal to heads.

Leaves

present at flowering; short-petiolate or sessile;

blades elliptic to broadly obovate or rhombic, main cauline rhombic, 30–50(–80) × 10–40(–60) mm (thick and firm), bases cuneate, margins entire proximally, usually coarsely serrate distal to middles (teeth 1–3 pairs), faces glabrous, gland-dotted, resinous (distal reduced, entire).

often withering and sparse by flowering;

sessile;

blades (1-nerved) filiform to linear-oblanceolate, 10–30 × 1–3 mm (slightly fleshy), bases narrowed, margins entire (revolute), apices acute (mucronate), faces glabrous, gland-dotted.

Involucres

campanulate;

staminate 3–5 mm, pistillate 3–5 mm.

funnelform;

staminate 3–5 mm, pistillate 3–5 mm.

Pistillate florets

20–30;

corollas 2.5–3.5 mm.

ca. 25;

corollas 2.5 mm.

Staminate florets

25–30;

corollas 3–4 mm.

15–22;

corollas 4 mm.

Phyllaries

ovate to lanceolate, 1–4 mm, margins scarious, medians green, apices obtuse to acute.

lanceolate (not keeled), 1–4 mm, margins ciliate, chartaceous, apices acute to acuminate (abaxial faces scurfy-glandular).

Heads

3–4 in loose pedunculate clusters in (terminal, leafy-bracted) broad paniculiform arrays.

borne singly or in (pedunculate clusters) in loose paniculiform or racemiform arrays.

Cypselae

1–1.8 mm, 8–10-nerved, glabrous;

pappi 8–12 mm.

2–3 mm, 10-nerved, glabrous or ciliate along nerves;

pappi 7–10 mm.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Baccharis halimifolia

Baccharis vanessae

Phenology Flowering Aug–Nov. Flowering Oct.
Habitat Open sandy places, wet fields, marshes, beaches, disturbed sites, roadsides, old fields Chaparral, Torrey-pine forests
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 60–300 m (200–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DE; FL; GA; LA; MA; MD; MS; NJ; NY; OK; PA; RI; SC; TX; VA; NS; Mexico (Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Veracruz); West Indies [Introduced in Europe (France), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, Baccharis halimifolia is recognized by its broad, distinctly rhombic, coarsely serrate basal leaves, pyramidal, leafy arrays, and cypselae with large fluffy pappi. The plants are often to 600 cm; the basal leaves might be missed by collectors. Forms with relatively narrow leaves are especially common in Arkansas, Louisiana, and east Texas. These may be the result of hybridization and introgression with B. neglecta, in areas where they are known to hybridize (D. J. Zanowiak 1991), or with B. angustifolia. Hybrids between B. halimifolia and B. angustifolia are known from Florida as well. Baccharis halimifolia has been introduced to Australia and France. In Australia it infests large areas along the coast of southern Queensland and New South Wales. Its success as an invasive weed is attributed to production of a large number of seeds that are widely dispersed by the wind, shade tolerant germination and seedlings, tolerance to wet soils and salinity, and ability to resprout after a fire (W. E. Westman et al. 1975). The leaves of B. halimifolia contain a cardiotoxic glycoside known to cause the death of sheep if they eat about one percent of their body weight in leaves.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

Baccharis vanessae is highly localized in chaparral remnants in relictual Torrey Pine forests of coastal San Diego County. It is distinguished from other species of Baccharis by its filiform leaves and delicate, ciliate phyllaries that reflex at maturity.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 28. FNA vol. 20, p. 34.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Baccharis Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Baccharis
Sibling taxa
B. angustifolia, B. bigelovii, B. brachyphylla, B. dioica, B. glomeruliflora, B. glutinosa, B. havardii, B. malibuensis, B. neglecta, B. pilularis, B. plummerae, B. pteronioides, B. salicifolia, B. salicina, B. sarothroides, B. sergiloides, B. texana, B. thesioides, B. vanessae, B. wrightii
B. angustifolia, B. bigelovii, B. brachyphylla, B. dioica, B. glomeruliflora, B. glutinosa, B. halimifolia, B. havardii, B. malibuensis, B. neglecta, B. pilularis, B. plummerae, B. pteronioides, B. salicifolia, B. salicina, B. sarothroides, B. sergiloides, B. texana, B. thesioides, B. wrightii
Synonyms B. halimifolia var. angustior
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 860. (1753) R. M. Beauchamp: Phytologia 46: 216, figs. 2, 3. (1980)
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