Baccharis halimifolia
Encyclopedia
Baccharis halimifolia is a fall-flowering deciduous
or evergreen shrub
commonly found in wetlands on the Atlantic
and Gulf
coastal plains of the eastern United States
from Texas
and Florida
northward to Massachusetts
, inland to the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania
. The species is also occurs in Mexico
, the West Indies, and southernmost Nova Scotia
in Canada
.
Widely used common names include Eastern Baccharis, Groundsel Bush, Sea Myrtle, and Saltbush, with Consumption Weed, Cotton-seed Tree, Groundsel Tree, Menguilié, and Silverling also used more locally. In most of its range, where no other species of the genus occur, this plant is often simply called Baccharis.
Baccharis halimifola was first described and named by Carl Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum
, published in 1753. No subspecies or varieties are recognized within the species.
This species is the northernmost member of the large Western Hemisphere
genus Baccharis
in the aster family (Asteraceae)
.
Senecio arborescens
, a Neotropical species, was confused with Baccharis halimifolia in the past.
, with male and female flower
s on separate individuals. Their flowers are borne in numerous small, compact heads in large leafy terminal inflorescence
s, with the snowy-white, cotton-like female flower-heads showy and conspicuous at a distance.
The species is sometimes confused with the marsh-elder (Iva frutescens)
, with which it often co-occurs, but the Baccharis has its leaves alternate, while those of the Iva are alternate.
s, is unusually salt-tolerant
, and often found along salty or brackish shores of marsh
es and estuaries
, and the inland shores of coastal barrier islands
. In Florida
, it is also found along ditches, in old fields, and in other disturbed areas. Other habitats in the northeastern United States include freshwater tidal marshes
and open woods and thickets along the seacoast.
The flowers produce abundant nectar that attracts various butterflies
, including the Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
. These dense shrubs also provide wildlife food and cover.
, B. halimifolia is an invasive species
along the coast of southern Queensland
and New South Wales
. The species has also become naturalized in Europe
and in New Zealand
.
In the northeastern United States
, the species has become common well inland of the shrub's natural range along various major highways where road salt is heavily used, sometimes forming conspicuous displays when flowering in the fall, as along I-95 in Howard County
, Maryland
.
In Louisiana
, there is a folk knowledge of medicinal use for B. halimifolia, where it is also known as menglier (menguilié). The leaves of this plant are boiled into an aromatic green brew and served hot to treat fever, congestion, and other cold or pneumonia-type symptoms, sometimes with lemon, honey, or sugar, or with a mint or cough drop (for flavor), and/or with whiskey.
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
or evergreen shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
commonly found in wetlands on the Atlantic
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
and Gulf
Gulf Coastal Plain
The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico.The plain reaches from the western Florida Panhandle, the southwestern two thirds of Alabama, over most of Mississippi, some of western Tennessee and Kentucky, southwest Arkansas, the Florida...
coastal plains of the eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
northward to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, inland to the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The species is also occurs in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the West Indies, and southernmost Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Widely used common names include Eastern Baccharis, Groundsel Bush, Sea Myrtle, and Saltbush, with Consumption Weed, Cotton-seed Tree, Groundsel Tree, Menguilié, and Silverling also used more locally. In most of its range, where no other species of the genus occur, this plant is often simply called Baccharis.
Classification
Species Plantarum
Species Plantarum was first published in 1753, as a two-volume work by Carl Linnaeus. Its prime importance is perhaps that it is the primary starting point of plant nomenclature as it exists today. This means that the first names to be considered validly published in botany are those that appear...
, published in 1753. No subspecies or varieties are recognized within the species.
This species is the northernmost member of the large Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
genus Baccharis
Baccharis
Baccharis is a genus of perennials and shrubs in the aster family . They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling the true brooms. They are not at all related to these however, but belong to an entirely...
in the aster family (Asteraceae)
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
.
Senecio arborescens
Senecio arborescens
Senecio arborescens should be a species of the genus Senecio in the Asteraceae family, but the available information about it mostly conflicting and old....
, a Neotropical species, was confused with Baccharis halimifolia in the past.
Description
Baccharis halimifolia is a shrub growing to about 12 ft (4 m) high and comparably wide, or occasionally a small tree. Its simple, alternate, thick, egg-shaped to rhombic leaves mostly have coarse teeth, with the uppermost leaves entire. These fall-flowering Baccharis plants are dioeciousDioecious
Dioecy is the property of a group of biological organisms that have males and females, but not members that have organs of both sexes at the same time. I.e., those whose individual members can usually produce only one type of gamete; each individual organism is thus distinctly female or male...
, with male and female flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s on separate individuals. Their flowers are borne in numerous small, compact heads in large leafy terminal inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s, with the snowy-white, cotton-like female flower-heads showy and conspicuous at a distance.
The species is sometimes confused with the marsh-elder (Iva frutescens)
Iva
Iva can mean:* Iva, the name of a tree which grows on mountains, and means strong .* Iva, South Carolina, a town in the United States* Iva, Samoa, a village* Iva , a 1993 film by Izu Ojukwu...
, with which it often co-occurs, but the Baccharis has its leaves alternate, while those of the Iva are alternate.
Ecology
Baccharis halimifolia, usually found in wetlandWetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, is unusually salt-tolerant
Halophyte
A halophyte is a plant that grows where it is affected by salinity in the root area or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores. An example of a halophyte is the salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora . Relatively few plant species are...
, and often found along salty or brackish shores of marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es and estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, and the inland shores of coastal barrier islands
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
. In Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, it is also found along ditches, in old fields, and in other disturbed areas. Other habitats in the northeastern United States include freshwater tidal marshes
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
and open woods and thickets along the seacoast.
The flowers produce abundant nectar that attracts various butterflies
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
, including the Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Monarch butterfly
The Monarch butterfly is a milkweed butterfly , in the family Nymphalidae. It is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies. Since the 19th century, it has been found in New Zealand, and in Australia since 1871 where it is called the Wanderer...
. These dense shrubs also provide wildlife food and cover.
Invasiveness
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, B. halimifolia is an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
along the coast of southern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The species has also become naturalized in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
In the northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, the species has become common well inland of the shrub's natural range along various major highways where road salt is heavily used, sometimes forming conspicuous displays when flowering in the fall, as along I-95 in Howard County
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Uses
Baccharis halimifolia is occasionally cultivated, useful as a hedge or border as well as a specimen plant.In Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, there is a folk knowledge of medicinal use for B. halimifolia, where it is also known as menglier (menguilié). The leaves of this plant are boiled into an aromatic green brew and served hot to treat fever, congestion, and other cold or pneumonia-type symptoms, sometimes with lemon, honey, or sugar, or with a mint or cough drop (for flavor), and/or with whiskey.
Other references
- Niering, William, Olmstead, Nancy, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers Eastern Region, 1995,ISBN 0-394-50423-1, p. 367