This weed hides most of itself underground to survive
Preliasco M, Mailhos A, Ibáñez F, Menchaca A, Balserini A
Invasive Species
If you've ever tried to pull a stubborn weed only to have it return weeks later, this plant's strategy of stashing 15 times more biomass in underground rhizomes than in its visible leaves explains why surface weeding alone often fails.
Nierembergia rivularis is a small white-flowered plant that poisons grazing animals in South America because it builds up vitamin D-like compounds in every part of itself. Scientists found that most of the plant actually lives underground as spreading rhizome roots, with the visible leaves and flowers making up only a small fraction of its total weight. It also clones itself by sprouting new roots from nodes along those underground stems, which is a big reason it's so persistent in pastures.
Key Findings
Belowground biomass (rhizomes and roots) was up to 15 times greater by dry weight than aboveground leaves and flowers
Hydroxylated vitamin D derivatives, the calcinogenic toxic compounds, were detected via HPLC in all plant structures
The plant reproduces clonally via adventitious roots emerging from rhizome nodes, and thrives in high-humidity, sunny, mixed-texture soils with low rhizomatous competition
chevron_right Technical Summary
A toxic South American plant that poisons livestock stores vitamin D-like compounds throughout its roots, stems, and leaves, with underground rhizomes holding up to 15 times more mass than the visible plant above ground, helping explain why it's so hard to eradicate from pastures.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Toxic compound, morphology, biology, and phenology of the calcinogenic plant Nierembergia rivularis Miers (Solanaceae).
Enzootic calcinosis caused by Nierembergia spp. (Solanaceae) poisoning causes important economic losses for sheep and cattle production in South America. This study aims to provide a comprehensive ...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Nierembergia rivularis, the whitecup or water neirembergia, is a species of ornamental plant in the Solanaceae family. The species is also commonly known as chuscho.