Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Rosales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Fatoua villosa
FAMILY
Moraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Mulberry-weed at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Fatoua appears to have become a fairly aggressive weed in eastern North America. It can be expected to continue to spread, and has the potential to become noxious, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Fatoua villosa
FAMILY
Moraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Fatoua villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3 (1997)
Fatoua villosa
COMMON NAME:
Mulberry-weed, Crabweed, Foolish-weed
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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JK Marlow jkm0307g_02
July Greenville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm0407x_33
July Greenville County SC
First reported in Louisiana in early 60s. By 2004, its distribution included 28 states, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
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JK Marlow jkm0407x_36
July Greenville County SC
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Roxanna Martin rlm82110_33
August Spartanburg County SC
Inflorescences are dense cymes borne on peduncles in leaf axils, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
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Roxanna Martin rlm8310_1
August Spartanburg County SC
Pubescence of stem and foliage is uncinulate, giving plant a "tacky" feel, per Weakley's Flora.
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Roxanna Martin rlm8310_5
August Spartanburg County SC
Achenes white, oval, 3-angled, ~ 1 mm, minutely muricate, per Flora of North America.
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Roxanna Martin rlm8710_5
August Spartanburg County SC
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JK Marlow s050821_a1
August Greenville County SC
Alternate, ovate leaves with cordate bases, borne on long petioles (about as long as leaf blade), per Weakley's Flora (2022).
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Gill Newberry gn09_fatoua_flowers
September
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JK Marlow jkm0509i_18
September Greenville County SC
Stems branched, light green, darkening w age, sometimes reddish-purple at base, w hooked hairs, per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).
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Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_fatoua_villosa
September
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Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_fatoua_villosa_2
September
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Fatoua villosa
FAMILY
Moraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Fatoua villosa
FAMILY
Moraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Fatoua villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3
Fatoua villosa
2029
Forb
Annual
Monoecious
Habitat: Disturbed areas, vegetable and flower gardens, landscaped areas around institutional buildings, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Asia
Uncommon in Carolina Piedmont (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Does not have milky sap
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Stinging trichomes absent
LEAVES:
Simple
Mostly alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Greenish
Radially symmetrical
4-lobed calyx
4 stamens in staminate flowers
Superior ovary
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Multiple of nutlets
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".