''Erechtites hieraciifolius'' (fireweed, American burnweed, or pilewort) is a plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is 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 ...

, but is found many places around the world having been introduced by human activity. It is introduced in Hawaii,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, and Southeast Asia.United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile for ''Erechtites hieraciifolia''
/ref>Flora of China, 梁子菜 liang zi cai, ''Erechtites hieraciifolius'' (Linnaeus) Rafinesque ex Candolle
/ref>

Description

''Erechtites hieraciifolius'' is an

annual herb An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical lo ...

with alternate, simple

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

, on thick, green stems. The leaves are serrated, and range from unlobed to deeply lobed, with the lobe pattern superficially resembling

wild lettuces Wild lettuce is a common name for several lactucarium-containing plants related to lettuce (''Lactuca sativa''). The name most often refers to '' Lactuca virosa'' (Europe, Asia, introduced to North America), though it may also refer to: * ''Lac ...

, which are in the same family but not closely related. When crushed, all parts of the species are aromatic. The

flower heads A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

are yellow or pink, borne in fall. The heads are followed by cluster of small, wispy achenes. The plant often branches and grows in a clump with multiple stems.

Ecology

This species benefits from fire, and is often one of the earliest pioneer species of areas that have recently burned, hence some of its common names. It prefers moist sites but can handle gravelly soil and some degree of dry conditions. It also grows well in urban areas and around humans. The flowers are pollinated primarily by wasps and honey bees

Apis mellifera The western honey bee or European honey bee (''Apis mellifera'') is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bees worldwide. The genus name ''Apis'' is Latin for "bee", and ''mellifera'' is the Latin for "honey-bearing" or "honey carrying", ...

. The seeds are wind-dispersed, and are used as a minor food source by birds. ;Varieties * ''Erechtites hieraciifolius'' var. cacalioides (Fisch. ex Spreng.) Less. ex Griseb. - Mexico, Central America, West Indies, South America * ''Erechtites hieraciifolius'' var. hieraciifolius -

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, West Indies * ''Erechtites hieraciifolius'' var. megalocarpus (Fernald) Cronquist -

northeastern United States The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...

from Massachusetts to New Jersey

References

External links

United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profilephoto of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Brazil in 1964photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Peru in 1986photo taken by Gerrit Davidse, showing one specimen of ''Homo sapiens'' beside one specimen of ''Erechtites hieraciifolius''
Senecioneae Flora of North America Flora of South America Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Senecioneae-stub