''Chromolaena'' is a genus of about 165 species of

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s and

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s in the family

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

. The name is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

words (), meaning "color", and () or () meaning "cloak". It refers to the colored

phyllaries In botanical terminology, a phyllary, also known an involucral bract or tegule, is a single bract of the involucre of a composite flower. The involucre is the grouping of bracts together. Phyllaries are reduced leaf-like structures that form one or ...

of some species. Members of the genus are native to the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, from the

southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

(especially

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

). One species, ''

Chromolaena odorata ''Chromolaena odorata'' is a tropical and subtropical species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the Americas, from Florida and Texas in the United States south through Mexico and the Caribbean to South America. It ...

'', has been introduced to many parts of the world where it is considered a

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

. The plants of this genus were earlier taxonomically classified under the genus ''

Eupatorium ''Eupatorium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, containing from 36 to 60 species depending on the classification system. Most are herbaceous perennials growing to tall. A few are shrubs. The genus is native to temperate ...

'', but are now considered to be more closely related to other genera in the tribe

Eupatorieae Eupatorieae is a tribe of over 2000D.J.N.Hind & H.E.Robinson. 2007. Tribe Eupatorieae In: ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' vol.VIII. (Joachim W.Kadereit & Charles Jeffrey, volume editors. Klaus Kubitzky, general editor). Springer-Ve ...

Species

There are about 165 species, including: * ''

Chromolaena bigelovii ''Chromolaena bigelovii'' called Bigelow's false thoroughwort, or Bigelow's thoroughwort, is a North American species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is native to northeastern Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí) and t ...

'' (

A.Gray Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century. His '' Darwiniana'' was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessarily mutually exc ...

) R.M.King & H.Rob. – Bigelow's thoroughwort * ''

Chromolaena borinquensis ''Chromolaena borinquensis'', the limestone thoroughwort, is a West Indian species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, part of the United States. The epithet ''borinquensis'' is derived f ...

'' (Britt.) R.M.King & H.Rob. – limestone thoroughwort * ''

Chromolaena corymbosa ''Chromolaena'' is a genus of about 165 species of perennials and shrubs in the family Asteraceae. The name is derived from the Greek words (), meaning "color", and () or () meaning "cloak". It refers to the colored phyllaries of some species. ...

'' (Aubl.) R.M.King & H.Rob. – Caribbean thoroughwort * ''

Chromolaena frustrata ''Chromolaena frustrata'' called Cape Sable false thoroughwort, or Cape Sable thoroughwort, is a rare North American species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in southern Florida, on the Florida Keys, inside Everglades ...

'' ( B.L.Rob.) R.M.King & H.Rob. – Cape Sable thoroughwort * ''

Chromolaena geraniifolia ''Chromolaena geraniifolia'', the geraniumleaf thoroughwort, is a West Indian species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, part of the United States.Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

) * '' Chromolaena hirsuta'' (Hook. & Arn.) R.M.King & H.Rob. * ''

Chromolaena impetiolaris ''Chromolaena impetiolaris'' is a rare Caribbean species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is found only the Island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles.Chromolaena integrifolia ''Chromolaena integrifolia'' is a Caribbean species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is found on the Islands of Dominica, Guadeloupe, La Desirade, Les Saintes, Marie Galante, Montserrat, and St. Kitts in the Lesser Antilles ...

'' (Bertero ex Spreng.) R.M.King & H.Rob. * ''

Chromolaena ivifolia ''Chromolaena ivifolia'' called ivy-leaf false thoroughwort, or ivyleaf thoroughwort, is a species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America and South America, from the south-eastern United States (eastern Texas, ...

'' R.M.King & H.Rob. – ivyleaf thoroughwort * ''

Chromolaena macrodon ''Chromolaena macrodon'' is a rare Caribbean species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is found only the Island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles.Chromolaena misella ''Chromolaena misella'' is a Mexican species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the State of Jalisco in western Mexico. ''Chromolaena misella'' is a shrub up to 80 cm (32 inches) tall. Leaves are opposite, 3-nerve ...

'' (McVaugh) R.M.King & H.Rob. * ''

'' (L.) R.M.King & H.Rob. – Jack in the bush * '' Chromolaena oteroi'' (Monachino) R.M.King & H.Rob. – Mona Island thoroughwort *'' Chromolaena sagittata'' (A.Gray) R.M.King & H.Rob. * '' Chromolaena sinuata'' (Lam.) R.M.King & H.Rob. – wavyleaf thoroughwort * '' Chromolaena squalida'' (DC.) R.M.King & H.Rob. * '' Chromolaena trigonocarpa'' (Griseb.) R.M.King & H.Rob. *'' Chromolaena xalapana'' B.L.Turner In Australia some species are called "triffid weed" (page 6)

References

* * Asteraceae genera {{Eupatorieae-stub