Monday, December 13, 2010

Help Us Track Japanese Chaff Flower (Achyranthes japonica)

Help us track the distribution of the invasive plant, Japanese Chaff Flower (Achyranthes japonica) in the Eastern United States. It seems to be concentrated along the lower Ohio River Valley, but has also been found in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
This plant grows well in forested bottomlands and poses a severe threat to forested ecosystems. It can be found growing in ditches, fencerows, and upland forests. Japanese Chaff Flower is a perennial and can form dense populations out competing native flora. The seeds are easily transported sticking to clothing or fur. It resembles the native plant, American lopseed (Phryma leptostachya). Click here to see the Species Alert pdf developed by Christopher Evans of the River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area. If you see this plant, take a picture of it and report the siting to EDDMapS.