Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Distribution and biological control of
Chromolaena
odorata
R. Muniappan
1
, G.V.P. Reddy
1
and Po-Yung Lai
2
1
Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Guam,
303 UOG Drive/UOG Station, Mangilao, Guam 96923, USA
2
Institute of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of
Science and Technology, Pingtung, 91201 Taiwan, Republic of China
Origin and spread
Chromolena odorata
(L.) RM King and H Robinson (Asteraceae) commonly
known as chromolaena, Siam weed and by several other names in different
countries, is of neotropical origin. Muniappan [1] mentioned the possible
introduction of chromolaena to Asia more than once from the neotropics; how-
ever, Gautier [2] takes the view that the invasion was initiated from a single
site. Voigt [3] in 1845 reported that it was introduced to Calcutta Botanical
Gardens in India as an ornamental plant. Clarke [4] in 1876 mentioned it had
become wild in parts of India and Java. Hooker [5] in 1882 noted that it was
sparingly cultivated in the Calcutta area. Rao [6] reported that in 1918 it was
widespread in Assam, West Bengal and Burma. Sipayung et al. [7] were of the
opinion that it was introduced to Deli in the east coast of North Sumatra in
Indonesia with the start of the commercial cultivation of tobacco at the turn of
the twentieth century. According to Grierson [8] it was introduced as an orna-
mental plant to Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, in 1884 but subsequently died out.
However, between 1937 and 1947, it became naturalized. Biswas [9] men-
tioned that this weed was accidentally introduced around 1934 from West
Indies to Singapore through the ballast of ships. Whether the invasion in Asia
originated from a single source or multiple introductions, the form of chromo-
laena seems to be relatively similar.
According to Gautier [2], chromolaena has invaded West Africa from more
than one source of introduction but all have originated from Asia. Ivens [10]
reported that it was introduced to Nigeria in 1937 through the contaminated
seeds of the forest tree,
Gmelina arborea
Roxb. (Verbenaceae) imported from
Sri Lanka. Also, it was thought that in 1936-37, pepper and coffee planters
from Southeast Asia who settled in Cameroon and Central African Republic,
brought the species with them [11]. It is also speculated that chromolaena was
introduced either by accident or deliberately to the Ivory Coast after World
War II [2, 12]. From these introductions, it has spread to most of the humid
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