Eupatorium capillifolium
Encyclopedia
Eupatorium capillifolium (dogfennel) is a perennial herbaceous plant
in the family Asteraceae
, native to southeastern North America
. It is generally between 50 cm and 2 meters tall with several stems that fork from a substantial base. The stems and base are covered in leaves so dissected that they resemble green hairs coming out of the stem in fractal
patterns. When crushed, the leaves and flowers smell rather unpleasant.
(yankeeweed) and Eupatorium leptophyllum
and some authors consider all of them varieties of E. capillifolium. Others maintain them as three species but consider them a related group, known as dogfennels or the Traganthes group. They all are characterized by dissected leaves.
) stages of ecological succession
. It is native to the southern and eastern United States
, from Massachusetts
south to Florida
, and west to Missouri
and Texas
, and also Cuba
and the Bahamas. Unlike insect-pollinated plants in this genus, E. capillifolium is wind-pollinated
.
Dogfennel is eaten by Florida
's scarlet-bodied wasp moth, Cosmosoma
myrodora. These moths feed on the plant while mature, to store its toxins and ward off predators.
-damaging pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so livestock are known to eat all the turf around a stand of it. To remove infestations of dogfennel, the recommended course of action is to mow it and apply herbicides.
It has also been introduced outside its native range, for example in Nepal.
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
in the 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...
, native to southeastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is generally between 50 cm and 2 meters tall with several stems that fork from a substantial base. The stems and base are covered in leaves so dissected that they resemble green hairs coming out of the stem in fractal
Fractal
A fractal has been defined as "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reduced-size copy of the whole," a property called self-similarity...
patterns. When crushed, the leaves and flowers smell rather unpleasant.
Classification
Dogfennel is closely related to Eupatorium compositifoliumEupatorium compositifolium
Eupatorium compositifolium commonly called Yankeeweed is a herbaceous perennial plant in Asteraceae native from North Carolina to Florida, west to Texas...
(yankeeweed) and Eupatorium leptophyllum
Eupatorium leptophyllum
Eupatorium leptophyllum, commonly called False fennel, is a herbaceous perennial plant in Asteraceae native to the southeastern United States. Like other members of the genus Eupatorium, it is about one to two meters tall and has inflorescences containing a large number of white flowers with disc...
and some authors consider all of them varieties of E. capillifolium. Others maintain them as three species but consider them a related group, known as dogfennels or the Traganthes group. They all are characterized by dissected leaves.
Cultivation and uses
Dogfennel thrives on roadsides, in fields and reduced tillage crops, as well as areas that have burned or otherwise been disturbed. It is found in the early to middle (seralSeral community
A seral community is an intermediate stage found in ecological succession in an ecosystem advancing towards its climax community. In many cases more than one seral stage evolves until climax conditions are attained...
) stages of ecological succession
Ecological succession
Ecological succession, is the phenomenon or process by which a community progressively transforms itself until a stable community is formed. It is a fundamental concept in ecology, and refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community...
. It is native to the southern and eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from 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...
south to 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...
, and west to Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and 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 also Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and the Bahamas. Unlike insect-pollinated plants in this genus, E. capillifolium is wind-pollinated
Anemophily
Anemophily or wind pollination is a form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by wind. Anemophilous plants may be either gymnosperms or angiosperms ....
.
Dogfennel is eaten by 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...
's scarlet-bodied wasp moth, Cosmosoma
Cosmosoma
Cosmosoma is a genus of moth in the family Arctiidae.-Species:*Cosmosoma demantria Druce, 1895*Cosmosoma ignidorsia Hampson, 1898*Cosmosoma subflamma *Cosmosoma auge *Cosmosoma myrodora Dyar, 1907...
myrodora. These moths feed on the plant while mature, to store its toxins and ward off predators.
Control
Dogfennel spreads by both seeds and rootstocks and can grow quite aggressively. It is common in pastures, especially those that are unimproved or overgrazed, and degrades the quality of the pasture by competing with desired forage species. Dogfennel contains liverLiver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
-damaging pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so livestock are known to eat all the turf around a stand of it. To remove infestations of dogfennel, the recommended course of action is to mow it and apply herbicides.
It has also been introduced outside its native range, for example in Nepal.