Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Eclipta prostrata
False daisy, Yerba de tajo
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Eclipta alba

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA PlantsITISThe Plant ListIPNI

Images

   
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Species Distribution
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County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNAUSDA PlantsBONAPBISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
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F
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M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
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S
0
O
0
N
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D
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Dicot-herb, perennial, annual

Roots:

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Pinnate leaf venation; awl-shaped, oblong leaf shape

Inflorescence: raceme, corymb, head

Flowers: perfect, unisexual, monoecious; 5 merous; complete, incomplete, not sepals, regular, irregular; yellow, white; epigynous ovary position

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic

Reproduction: sexual

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Species is adventive in northern Illinois; a more southern plant. It is distributed in muddy stream shores and ditches, sloughs, low ground in moist fields and valleys; along railroads, roadsides, and waste ground.

ILPIN Notes: Disk flowers are perfect and fertile, rays are pistillate - fertile and sterile. PIN says annual, but Midwest references say it is a perennial. In Africa, species is cooked and eaten as a vegetable. It also may contain an alkaloid with nicotine. Species is found in northern U.S., and in Old and New World tropics. It is common in southern 3/4 of the state, and rare to absent elsewhere. Achenes are rugose or warty, slightly hairy at summit. In this genus Eclipta, the pappus may be none, or an obscure crown (complete) or two short awns (complete), thus flower structure is not consistent.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State: 2
  • Chicago Area:

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