Galinsoga parviflora — gallant soldier, lesser quickweed
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Facts
Lesser quickweed is native to Central America, but has been introduced through much of the world. It is considered a weed of many crops, particularly vegetable crops. This is in part due to its ability to reproduce rapidly by seed, going through several generations in one year. It is considered edible in Central America, where the young stems and leaves are eaten raw or cooked.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Ray flower color
-
- pink to red
- white
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 20–110 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Disk flower color
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has papery scales on it
- Flower head profile
- the disk is conical across the top
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Height of flower head base
- 2–3 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Ovary hair type
-
- the ovary has hairs on it, but the hairs have no glands
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
-
- the ovary has hairs on it
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Peduncle hair type
- the hairs on the peduncles have glands at their tips
- Peduncle hairs
- the peduncles are hairy
- Peduncle length
- 1–40 mm
- Ray flower color
-
- pink to red
- white
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- Ray flowers
-
- 1-5
- 6-10
- Ray length
- 0.5–1.8 mm
- Reproductive system
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Width of flower head base
- 2.5–5 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 1.3–2.5 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft length
- 0.5–2 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- NA
- Seed hairs uniform
- NA
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of flat scales that look split or frayed at the tips
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have no glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
-
- there are only slender roots on the plant
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
-
Leaves
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- Leaf blade bloom
-
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- there is a noticeable powdery or waxy bloom on the underside of the leaf
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade length
- 20–110 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has three main veins running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 15–70 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair direction
-
- the hairs are pressed flat against the plant, pointing either towards the plant's tip or towards it's base
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hairs
-
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Galinsoga parviflora Cav. E
lesser quickweed. Galinsoga parviflora Cav. var. semicalva Gray; G. semicalva (Gray) St. John & White • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Gardens, cultivated fields, barnyards, waste areas, roadsides.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Eclipta prostrata:
- capitula with 20-40 ray flowers and leaf blades narrow-lanceolate to lanceolate, 4-30 mm wide (vs. G. parviflora, with capitula with 3-8 ray flowers and leaf blades lanceolate to broad-ovate, 15-70 mm wide).
- Galinsoga quadriradiata:
- scales at summit of ovary (the pappus) of disk flowers terminating in a bristle tip and ray flowers with scales at summit of ovary (vs. G. parviflora, with scales at summit of ovary (the pappus) of disk flowers not terminating in a bristle tip and ray flowers without scales at summit of ovary or these poorly developed).
Synonyms
- Galinsoga parviflora var. semicalva Gray
- Galinsoga semicalva (Gray) St. John & White