Riceweeds en - Asteraceae - Tridax procumbens L.

TRQPR

Asteraceae

Tridax procumbens L.

Broadleaf

A short lived perennial, creeping herb branching at the base, with opposite, densely hairy leave and cream flower.

Creeping herb.

Rooting at lower nodes.

Stems is soft procumbent is hairs and brittle.

The leaves are ovate, up to 5 cm long, pointed at the apex and narrowed gradually to the base, with coarse, deeply-cut teeth or lobes.

The inflorescence is a solitaire, terminal or axillary flower-head on a slender peduncle up to 20 cm long.

The flower heads are borne singly on erect stems up to 30 cm long and are up to 12 mm across. There are numerous, tubular disc florets surrounded by a ring of short, strap-shaped ray florets.

The fruits are shortly hairy and crowned with long, stiff, straw-coloured bristles.

Propagation by seeds.

A weed of disturbed ground, often on roadsides and in waste places; also in naturally disturbed areas such as sandy stream beds.

Native to the Tropical America.

Introduced to tropical, subtropical, and mild temperate regions worldwide.

Benin: Frequent but not abundant.
Burkina-Faso: Rare and not abundant.
Cote d'Ivoire: Frequent but not abundant.
Ghana: Rare and not abundant.
Kenya: Frequent but not abundant.
Mali: Frequent but not abundant.
Nigeria: Frequent but not abundant.
Chad: are but abundant when present.
Tanzania: Frequent but not abundant.
Uganda: Frequent and usually abundant.

Management options: http://www.afroweeds.org/network/pg/file/read/1902/general-guidelines-for-weed-management-in-lowland-rice

Tridax procumbens is known for several potential therapeutic activities like antiviral, anti-inflammatory activities and antibiotic efficacies.

Ivens, G.W (1989). East Africa weeds and their control. Oxford University press. Nairobi, Kenya. 165p.
I. O. Akobundu & C.W. Agyakwa: A handbook of West African Weeds. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria (1998), 192p.
D.E. Johnson (1997). Les adventices en riziculture en Afrique de l'Ouest /Weeds of rice in West Africa. West Africa Rice Development Association, Bouaké, Côte d'ivoire. 62p
Suseela, L.; Sarsvathy, A.; Brindha, P. (2002). 'Pharmacognostic studies on Tridax procumbens L.(Asteraceae)'. Journal of Phytological Research 15 (2): 141-147.

Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): http://www.hear.org/pier/species/tridax_procumbens.htm
Flora of Zimbabwe: http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=160700
Factsheet: http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/FNWE2/key/FNW_Seeds/Media/Html/fact_sheets/Tridax_procumbens.htm