Adapted from Globinmed (2013)
Although mature A. curassavica plants are readily identified (see Description), no early detection, inspection or diagnosis methods for this species are documented. Seeds of A. curassavica do not have distinctive features, meaning that this species may be difficult to identify at inspection points. For a description of the seeds, see Description.
Related invasive species
- Asclepias curassavica
Related Farm Practice
- Hosts
- Production
- Plantations
The milkweed A. curassica is an erect sub-shrub that is reported to be weedy or invasive across many tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Australia and Asia, as well as in China, South East Asia and the Pacific. The invasiveness of this species is reflected by the notably widespread scale of naturalization, together with the ease of spread and establishment of A. curassavica across a range of habitat types. Impacts of this species include the invasion of both native ecosystems and agricultural systems (e.g. Holm et al., 1997), as well as toxicity to vertebrates.
A. curassavica infestations have been reported in numerous crops species, but the impacts of this species on the growth or production of crops have not been documented. Crops affected by A. curassavica infestations include banana, coffee, cotton, mango and sorghum in Mexico;edible beans, cassava and sweet potato in Costa Rica;coconut in Cambodia;soybeans in Brazil;sugar cane in Argentina and Costa Rica, and sorghum and tobacco in Nicaragua (Holm et al., 1997). A. curassavica infestations are also reported in coconut plantations in Papua New Guinea (Peekel, 1984) and Fiji (Smith, 1988).