ASTHMA PLANT (WEED)
Chamaesyce hirta prev. Euphorbia hirta, Fam. Euphorbiaceae
Annual sprawling to more-or-less erect, branching herb, stems 2-40cm with milky sap, closely pressed short curled hairs and long spreading yellowish hairs.
| Form or habit: | Herb |
| Latex: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple Opposite Opposite simple ovate, 49 x 24mm, hairy, often brownish-green, margins serrated. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Inconspicuous |
| Flower colour: | Green |
| Flower description: | Tiny greenish, borne in tight clusters between the upper pairs of leaves. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Inconspicuous |
| Fruit colour: | |
| Fruit: | Dry |
| Fruit description: | Hairy capsules, 1.5 x 1.5mm, separating into three 2-valved segments. Seeds oval with square base 0.8mm long, with or without regular crosswise wrinkles. |
| Habitat: | |
| Distribution | |
| Food source for: | |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Central America |
| Weed: | Yes |
| Weed status: | Environmental/garden escapee |
| Notes: | Spread by: Seeds in contaminated soil, garden waste. Invades: Colonises any bare areas in full sun - headlands, creek banks, roadsides and gardens. Environmental weed. |
| Information sources: | Mackay Regional Pest Management Group (2011) Weeds of the Mackay Whitsunday Region. |
