Acanthospermum australe (spiny-bur)
Index
- Pictures
- Identity
- Summary of Invasiveness
- Taxonomic Tree
- Description
- Plant Type
- Distribution
- Distribution Table
- History of Introduction and Spread
- Introductions
- Habitat
- Habitat List
- Hosts/Species Affected
- Host Plants and Other Plants Affected
- Growth Stages
- Biology and Ecology
- Climate
- Latitude/Altitude Ranges
- Rainfall Regime
- Soil Tolerances
- Natural enemies
- Notes on Natural Enemies
- Means of Movement and Dispersal
- Pathway Causes
- Pathway Vectors
- Impact Summary
- Economic Impact
- Environmental Impact
- Threatened Species
- Risk and Impact Factors
- Uses
- Similarities to Other Species/Conditions
- Prevention and Control
- Gaps in Knowledge/Research Needs
- References
- Contributors
- Distribution Maps
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Generate reportPictures
Top of page| Picture | Title | Caption | Copyright |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruits | Acanthospermum australe (spiny-bur); close view of fruits and a flower. Honeydew, Gauteng, South Africa. February 2016. | ©Paul Venter-2016/via wikipedia - CC BY-SA 3.0 | |
| Habit | Acanthospermum australe (spiny-bur); habit. Kukumamalu gulch, Molokai, Hawaii, USA. May, 2005. | ©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0 | |
| Habit | Acanthospermum australe (spiny-bur); habit. Polihua Rd, Lanai, Hawaii, USA. April, 2007. | ©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0 | |
| Habit | Acanthospermum australe (spiny-bur); habit, with flowers. Hanaula, Maui, Hawaii, USA. September, 2011. | ©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0 | |
| Flowers and leaves | Acanthospermum australe (spiny-bur); flowers and leaves. Hanaula, Maui, Hawaii, USA. September, 2011. | ©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0 |
Identity
Top of pagePreferred Scientific Name
- Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) Kuntze
Preferred Common Name
- spiny-bur
Other Scientific Names
- Acanthospermum brasilum Schrank.
- Acanthospermum hirsutum DC.
- Acanthospermum xanthioides (Kunth) DC.
- Echinodium prostratum Poit.
- Melampodium australe Loefl.
- Orcya adhaerens Vell.
- Orcya adhaerescens Vell.
International Common Names
- English: creeping starbur; guay greenstripe; Paraguayan starbur; Paraguay-bur; Paraguay-starbur; sheep-bur; spiny bur; star bur
Local Common Names
- Brazil: amor-de-negro; carrapichinho; carrapicho-rasteiro; cordao de sapochifrinho; maroto; mata-pasto; tapekué
- Paraguay: tapeku
- South Africa: donkieklits; eight-seeded starbur; jodeluis; kruipsterklits; setla-bocha
- USA/Hawaii: ‘ihi kukae hipa; kukaehipa; pipili
Summary of Invasiveness
Top of pageAcanthospermum australe is a creeping annual or short-lived perennial plant, which originates from the tropics and sub-tropics of Central and South America. A. australe has been introduced to China, Australia, Africa, and the USA, where it is classed as invasive in the states of Hawaii and Oregon. It spreads to form dense mats that can smother other low-growing vegetation. In Australia, A. australe is seen as a threat to native mat-forming species in coastal sand dunes and in hind-dune vegetation. It is also regarded as an invasive species within its native range in Brazil, where it occurs in conservation areas.
Taxonomic Tree
Top of page- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Spermatophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Dicotyledonae
- Order: Asterales
- Family: Asteraceae
- Genus: Acanthospermum
- Species: Acanthospermum australe
Description
Top of pageAnnual or short-term perennial, stems 10-60(-120) cm, mostly procumbent. Leaves cauline. Leaves rhombic-ovate to triangular, 1.5-3.5 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, with conspicuous glands on both surfaces, margins irregularly serrate above the middle, base cuneate, petioles 0.3-1.5 cm long. Heads 4-6 mm in diameter, generally solitary, with 3-8 white-cream-yellow ray florets and 3-8 yellowish disc florets functionally staminate. The single-seeded fruits (cypselae) are each enclosed within and shed with an often hardened, ± prickly perigynium, ultimately plumply ellipsoid to fusiform, or ± compressed (PIER, 2015; PROTA, 2015; ZipcodeZoo, 2015).
A. australe has small stomata and 4-5-cellular non-glandular hairs (Martins et al., 2006).
Distribution
Top of pageA. australe is native to South and Central America, but has been introduced widely to Mexico and USA, including Hawaii. Distribution is generally localized in China and Australia, and mostly sporadic in a number of countries in Africa. GBIF (2015) has single records from many African countries, perhaps suggesting some mis-identification. GBIF (2015) records for A. australe in South Africa and Swaziland include multiple specimens. Contrastingly, there are no occurrences of A. australe listed in these countries in Flora Zambesiaca (2015).
Distribution Table
Top of pageThe distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.
Last updated: 10 Jan 2020History of Introduction and Spread
Top of pageIn the USA, early introductions of A. australe occurred in Alabama and Hawaii in 1877 and 1895, respectively. In Australia, it was first recorded in New South Wales in 1967 (Benson and McDougall, 1994), and in Queensland in 1994 (Technigro, 2010). However, the origins of these introductions are not detailed.
Introductions
Top of page| Introduced to | Introduced from | Year | Reason | Introduced by | Established in wild through | References | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural reproduction | Continuous restocking | |||||||
| Alabama | 1877 | Yes | No | GBIF (2014); GBIF (2015) | ||||
| Hawaii | 1895 | Yes | No | GBIF (2014); GBIF (2015) | ||||
| New South Wales | 1967 | Yes | No | Benson and McDougall (1994) | ||||
| Queensland | 1994 | Yes | No | Technigro (2010) | ||||
Habitat
Top of pageA. australe, a plant of disturbed ground, commonly occurs on roadsides and in crops in its native South America. In Hawai’i it is naturalized along roadsides and other relatively dry, open, disturbed areas (PIER, 2015). In Australia it occurs on sand dunes and sandy soils along footpaths and roadsides in the near-coastal areas (Technigro, 2010).
Habitat List
Top of page| Category | Sub-Category | Habitat | Presence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrestrial | ||||
| Terrestrial – Managed | Cultivated / agricultural land | Principal habitat | ||
| Managed grasslands (grazing systems) | Secondary/tolerated habitat | |||
| Disturbed areas | Principal habitat | |||
| Rail / roadsides | Principal habitat | |||
| Urban / peri-urban areas | Secondary/tolerated habitat | |||
| Terrestrial ‑ Natural / Semi-natural | Natural grasslands | Secondary/tolerated habitat | ||
| Rocky areas / lava flows | Secondary/tolerated habitat | |||
| Scrub / shrublands | Secondary/tolerated habitat | |||
| Littoral | ||||
| Coastal areas | Secondary/tolerated habitat | |||
| Coastal dunes | Principal habitat |
Hosts/Species Affected
Top of pageHost Plants and Other Plants Affected
Top of page| Plant name | Family | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) | Malvaceae | Other |
| Arachis hypogaea (groundnut) | Fabaceae | Other |
| Glycine max (soyabean) | Fabaceae | Main |
| Gossypium hirsutum (Bourbon cotton) | Malvaceae | Other |
| Manihot esculenta (cassava) | Euphorbiaceae | Other |
| Oryza sativa (rice) | Poaceae | Other |
| Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) | Fabaceae | Other |
| Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) | Solanaceae | Other |
| Zea mays (maize) | Poaceae | Other |
Growth Stages
Top of page Seedling stage, Vegetative growing stageBiology and Ecology
Top of pageGenetics
The chromosome number of A. australe has been found as 2n = 20 and 22 (Missouri Botanical Garden, 2015). Other sources usually indicate 2n = 22.
Reproductive Biology
In the cogeneric A. hispidum, self-pollination and cross-pollination occur by wind. A. australe is assumed to have similar pollination behaviour, since it is also monoecious, having male flowers in the centre and female flowers on the outside of the inflorescence. However, it is also known to be pollinated by bees (Isahara and Miamoni-Rodell, 2011).
Very little information is available on the germination of A. australe seeds, but B & T World Seeds (2015) suggest that it may be stimulated by smoke.
Vegetative propagation can occur from the prostrate stems (Technigro, 2010).
Physiology and Phenology
As a member of the Heliantheae (tribe Asteraceae), A. australe is known to have C4 physiology.
Longevity
Longevity of the plant is not normally more than one year. However, although A. australe is generally referred to as an annual, Technigro (2010) describes it as ‘long-lived’ and refers to the dangers of vegetative propagation, presumably from the prostrate stems.
Associations
The following endophytic fungi have been found to have associations with A. australe in Argentina: Alternaria alternata, Aureobasidium pullulans, Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, Myrothecium roridum, Phoma sp. and Sordaria fimicola. It is suggested that some of these may have significance in medicinal terms (Giusiano et al., 2010).
Environmental Requirements
A. australe thrives in warm, relatively dry conditions.
Climate
Top of page| Climate | Status | Description | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am - Tropical monsoon climate | Tolerated | Tropical monsoon climate ( < 60mm precipitation driest month but > (100 - [total annual precipitation(mm}/25])) | |
| As - Tropical savanna climate with dry summer | Preferred | < 60mm precipitation driest month (in summer) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25]) | |
| Aw - Tropical wet and dry savanna climate | Preferred | < 60mm precipitation driest month (in winter) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25]) | |
| BS - Steppe climate | Tolerated | > 430mm and < 860mm annual precipitation | |
| Cf - Warm temperate climate, wet all year | Preferred | Warm average temp. > 10°C, Cold average temp. > 0°C, wet all year | |
| Cw - Warm temperate climate with dry winter | Preferred | Warm temperate climate with dry winter (Warm average temp. > 10°C, Cold average temp. > 0°C, dry winters) |
Latitude/Altitude Ranges
Top of page| Latitude North (°N) | Latitude South (°S) | Altitude Lower (m) | Altitude Upper (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 35 |
Soil Tolerances
Top of pageSoil drainage
- free
Soil reaction
- neutral
Soil texture
- light
- medium
Special soil tolerances
- shallow
Natural enemies
Top of page| Natural enemy | Type | Life stages | Specificity | References | Biological control in | Biological control on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanatephorus cucumeris | Pathogen |
Notes on Natural Enemies
Top of pageA. australe is an alternate host of Thanatephorus cucumeris, the causal agent of web blight on dry beans, and the plants are quite severely affected (Costa et al., 2007). No other natural enemies are commonly reported.
Means of Movement and Dispersal
Top of pageVector Transmission
A. australe is readily transported by livestock due to the spiky burs, which attach themselves to the coats/tails.
Accidental Introduction
Accidental introduction can occur via the import of pelts or wool of livestock.
Intentional Introduction
Intentional introduction is unlikely. The plant’s applications in medicine are generally known only locally, where the weed already occurs, so the risk of introduction outside of these areas is minimal.
Pathway Causes
Top of page| Cause | Notes | Long Distance | Local | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal production | Yes | |||
| Crop production | Yes | Yes | ||
| Harvesting fur, wool or hair | Yes | |||
| Hitchhiker | Yes | Yes |
Pathway Vectors
Top of page| Vector | Notes | Long Distance | Local | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing, footwear and possessions | Yes | Yes | ||
| Hides, trophies and feathers | Yes | Yes | ||
| Land vehicles | Yes | |||
| Livestock | Yes | |||
| Machinery and equipment | Yes |
Impact Summary
Top of page| Category | Impact |
|---|---|
| Economic/livelihood | Negative |
| Environment (generally) | Negative |
| Human health | Positive |
Economic Impact
Top of pageA. australe is a major weed of crops, especially in Brazil. These include soybean, Phaseolus beans, rice, cotton, groundnut, maize, cassava, okra and tomatoes, but there are no exact estimates of the losses caused.
It is also an alternate host of Thanatephorus cucumeris, the causal agent of web blight on dry beans (Costa et al., 2007).
Environmental Impact
Top of pageA. australe is regarded as an environmental weed in Australia, where it can threaten the native vegetation of sand dunes (Technigro, 2010). In Hawaii it is among the group of invasive species threatening the endangered grass Poa mannii on the island of Kauai (USFWS, 2008).
Threatened Species
Top of page| Threatened Species | Conservation Status | Where Threatened | Mechanism | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poa mannii (Mann's bluegrass) | CR (IUCN red list: Critically endangered); USA ESA listing as endangered species | Hawaii | Competition - monopolizing resources | US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2010 |
Risk and Impact Factors
Top of page Invasiveness- Invasive in its native range
- Proved invasive outside its native range
- Has a broad native range
- Abundant in its native range
- Highly adaptable to different environments
- Pioneering in disturbed areas
- Reproduces asexually
- Negatively impacts agriculture
- Reduced native biodiversity
- Threat to/ loss of native species
- Competition - monopolizing resources
- Competition - smothering
- Competition (unspecified)
- Produces spines, thorns or burrs
- Highly likely to be transported internationally accidentally
Uses
Top of pageSocial Benefit
A. australe has a wide range of traditional medicinal uses, with supposed activity against: the protozoan Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites (Castro et al., 2013); a range of fungi causing skin diseases in Paraguay (Portillo et al., 2001) and specifically Candida albicans in Brazil (Fabri et al., 2011); rheumatism and arthritis (by internal administration); and swelling and bleeding (by external application) (Shimizu et al., 1987); malaria in South Africa (Nethengwe et al., 2012); herpes and polio viruses (Martins et al., 2011); and for anti-fertility, foot problems and sores (Duke, 2015). Hepatoprotective properties have also been reported.
The basis for these uses has not been explained, but Carvalho et al. (2014) have confirmed antimicrobial activity of oil from A. australe, and high antioxidant activity was confirmed in Argentina (Desmarchelier et al., 1997). The detection of high concentrations of caffeoylquinic acids in the plants indicated that their use in traditional medicine is justified (Debenedetti et al., 1993). Acanthostral, a novel germacranolide, was isolated as an antineoplastic constituent from the above-ground parts of A. australe, showing significant activity against L1210 (murine leukaemia) cell cultures (Matsunaga et al., 1996).
Similarities to Other Species/Conditions
Top of pageA. australe is similar to A. hispidum, but the latter can be distinguished by its upright habit and the fact that its fruits have two larger spines at their tips. A short petiole in A. hispidum is another diagnostic trait that distinguishes it from A. australe. Types of glandular trichomes can also be used to distinguish these two species (Araújo et al., 2013).
Prevention and Control
Top of pageDue to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product's label.
Cultural Control and Sanitary Measures
It is especially important to avoid the spread of A. australe by the sticky burs on animal coats or human clothing.
Physical/Mechanical Control
A. australe can be controlled mechanically in the early stages of growth, but this becomes more difficult as the plant matures and becomes woody at the base.
Movement Control
Avoid transfer by grazing animals and in human clothing.
Chemical Control
A. australe is controlled by glyphosate in non-crop situations and in glyphosate-tolerant soybeans. Other herbicides of use in soybean include: a mixture of diclosulam and flumetsulam (Fortuna and Dutra,1999); chlorimuron-ethyl plus metribuzin (with or without cyanazine) (Guimarães, 1988); and sethoxydim plus bentazone (sethoxydim is not effective on its own).
Herbicides for other crops include: benthiocarb (thiobencarb) + propanil, propanil + 2,4-D, propanil + oxadiazon (for rice); diuron +/- sethoxydim, paraquat (for cotton); trifluralin (for okra).
A. australe apparently has an unusual susceptibility to fluazifop-butyl (Zhang and Luo, 2010), a characteristic which could be of value in a range of broad-leaved crops.
Gaps in Knowledge/Research Needs
Top of pageThere is a scarcity of information on many aspects of this weed, particularly its environmental requirements, germination requirements, and seed longevity.
References
Top of pageB & T World Seeds, 2015. Graines de germination induites par fumee. Aigues-Vives, France: B & T World Seeds. http://b-and-t-world-seeds.com/aleCat.asp?title=Graines%20de%20Germination%20Induites%20par%20Fumee&list=185
Benson D, McDougall L, 1994. Ecology of Sydney plant species: Part 2 - Dicotyledon families Asteraceae to Buddlejaceae. Cunninghamia 3:789-1004.
BONAP, 2015. Taxonomic Data Center. North American vascular flora. North Carolina, USA: The Biota of North America Program. http://bonap.net/tdc
Duke J, 2015. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases online resource. Beltsville, USA: Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/
Flora Zambesiaca, 2015. Flora Zambesiaca online (eFloras). Richmond, Surrey, UK: Kew Databases. http://apps.kew.org/efloras/search.do
GBIF, 2015. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. http://www.gbif.org/species
Isahara KL, Miamoni-Rodella RCS, 2011. Pollination and dispersal systems in a cerrado remnant (Brazilian Savanna) in southeastern Brazil. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, 54(3):629-642.
Lorenzi H, 1982. Plantas Daninhas do Brasil. Nova Odessa, San Paulo, Brazil: H. Lorenzi.
Missouri Botanical Garden, 2015. Tropicos database. St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/
PIER, 2015. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk. Honolulu, USA: HEAR, University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html
PROTA, 2015. PROTA4U web database. Grubben GJH, Denton OA, eds. Wageningen, Netherlands: Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. http://www.prota4u.info
Technigro, 2010. Paraguay burr (Acanthospermum australe). Weed Watch, February 2010. Queensland, Australia: Technigro, 2 pp. http://www.technigro.com.au/documents/WW%20Paraguay%20Burr.pdf
USDA-ARS, 2015. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. Beltsville, Maryland, USA: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch.aspx
USFWS, 2008. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; initiation of 5-year status reviews of 70 species in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and the Pacific Islands, Federal Register 73(83). Washington DC, USA: US Fish and Wildlife Service, 23264-23266.
Zhang YY, Luo XY, 2010. Different susceptibility of 35 species composite plants to fluazifop-butyl. Acta Phytophylacica Sinica, 37(6). 557-561.
ZipcodeZoo, 2015. Acanthospermum australe. http://zipcodezoo.com/index.php/Acanthospermum_australe
Distribution References
BONAP, 2015. Taxonomic Data Center. In: North American vascular flora, North Carolina, USA: The Biota of North America Program. http://bonap.net/tdc
CABI, Undated. CABI Compendium: Status as determined by CABI editor. Wallingford, UK: CABI
GBIF, 2015. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. http://www.gbif.org/species
Missouri Botanical Garden, 2015. Tropicos database., St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/
PIER, 2015. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk., Honolulu, USA: HEAR, University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html
Technigro, 2010. Paraguay burr (Acanthospermum australe). In: Weed Watch, February 2010, Queensland, Australia: Technigro. 2 pp. http://www.technigro.com.au/documents/WW%20Paraguay%20Burr.pdf
USDA-ARS, 2015. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. Beltsville, Maryland, USA: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysimple.aspx
Distribution Maps
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