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. |