Guernsey fleabane

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Guernsey fleabane
• broadleaf fleabane
• tall fleabane
• Broad Leaved Fleabane
• High Fleabane
• Sumatran fleabane
• tropical horseweed

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Aster ambiguus
• Erigeron musashensis
• Conyza altissima
• Conyza ambigua
• Conyza bonariensis var. microcephala
• Conyza bonariensis f. subleiotheca
• Conyza erigeroides
• Conyza floribunda var. subleiotheca
• Dimorphanthes ambigua
• Dimorphanthes floribunda
• Erigeron flahaultianus
• Erigeron ambiguus
• Erigeron bonariensis var. microcephalus
• Conyza sumatrensis
• Eschenbachia ambigua
• Erigeron naudinii
• Conyza groegeri
• Conyza naudinii
• Conyza daveauana
• Erigeron daveauanus
• Erigeron crispus subsp. naudinii
• Conyza flahaultiana
• Conyza gracilis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Specifically, its taxonomic identity is defined by its placement in the genus Erigeron.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range spanning across several parts of the European continent. In Northern Europe, its presence is documented in Great Britain, Ireland, and Sweden. Moving toward the center of the continent, the species is also found within Middle Europe. Specifically, it can be located in the territories of both Belgium and Germany. Consequently, its distribution covers a significant stretch from the northern coasts to the central European plains.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Erigeron sumatrensis is characterized by a remarkable adaptive capacity to diverse environmental conditions and a vast altitudinal distribution. This species inhabits an expansive vertical range, spanning from sea level (0 m AMSL) to extreme high-altitude environments reaching up to 4,000 m AMSL. Its presence is recorded across a highly varied array of ecosystems, demonstrating significant ecological plasticity. It thrives in anthropogenic areas (Área Antrópica) and various specialized vegetation types, including high-altitude grasslands (Campo de Altitude), open grasslands (Campo Limpo), and rocky fields (Campo Rupestre). Furthermore, its habitat extends to the Cerrado (latu sensu), humid rainforests (Floresta Ombrófila/Pluvial), and coastal restinga ecosystems, allowing it to persist in both moisture-rich forest settings and more exposed, xeric landscapes.

Elevational range max:

4000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica, Campo de Altitude, Campo Limpo, Campo Rupestre, Cerrado (lato sensu), Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial), Restinga

Life history

The life history of Erigeron sumatrensis is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental process—from germination to seed production—within a single growing season. As a therophyte, its life form is defined by the survival of the species through dormant seeds rather than persistent vegetative structures, allowing it to bypass unfavorable environmental conditions. This life strategy ensures that the plant rapidly utilizes available resources to reach maturity and reproduce before the seasonal cycle concludes.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Erigeron sumatrensis is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, typically manifesting as a self-supporting plant. It lacks any climbing or parasitic tendencies, functioning as an independent organism. The plant exhibits a terrestrial lifestyle, functioning neither as an epiphyte nor as an aquatic or semiaquatic species. Its shoots maintain an erect orientation, supporting a structure that reaches a plant height ranging from a minimum of 0.2 m to a maximum of 2 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2 m

Plant height min:

0.2 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Erigeron sumatrensis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. Its vegetative structure features an alternate leaf arrangement, with foliage that lacks succulence. The leaves exhibit an elliptic form, varying significantly in dimensions to optimize light interception and gas exchange; individual leaves typically range from a minimum length of 3 cm to a maximum of 15 cm, with a mean length of 8 cm. Correspondingly, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 0.5 cm and a maximum of 3 cm, maintaining a mean width of 2 cm.

Leaf arrangement :

alternate

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

15 cm

Leaf length mean:

8 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

3 cm

Leaf width mean:

2 cm

Leaf width min:

0.5 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Erigeron sumatrensis is characterized by a flowering period that begins as early as December and continues through August, though the specific timing can be variable. During this cycle, the plant produces white flowers that eventually develop into small, indehiscent fruits classified as achenes. These fruits typically exhibit a mean length of 0.135 cm, ranging from a minimum of 0.12 cm to a maximum of 0.15 cm. The seeds contained within are exceptionally lightweight, with a mean mass of 3.5e-05 g, falling within a range between 3e-05 g and 4e-05 g. For the spread of its progeny, the plant utilizes an anemochorous dispersal syndrome, relying on wind currents to transport its lightweight seeds to new locations.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Flower colour :

white

Flowering time :

Dec

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit length max:

0.15 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.135 cm

Fruit length min:

0.12 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Seed mass max:

4e-05 g

Seed mass mean:

3.5e-05 g

Seed mass min:

3e-05 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Erigeron sumatrensis has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include K+, proline.

K+

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

proline

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)