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The Acaena is found mainly in
the South America, New Zealand and Australia. The leaves are
alternate, 4-15 cm long, and pinnate or nearly so, with 7-21
leaflets. The flowers are produced in a tight globose
inflorescence 1-2 cm diameter, with no petals.
The Acanea fruit is a dense ball of
many seeds; in many (but not all) species the seeds bear a barbed
arrowhead point, the seedhead forming a burr which attaches itself
to animal fur or feathers for dispersal.
Acaena species were introduced into
cultivation in Northern Ireland from New Zealand for use mainly as
rockery plants. Acaena ovalifolia is the commonest species to be
found as an escape in wild situations, mainly in forestry
plantations, demesnes and woodland. It is fast-growing and spreads
readily by creeping over the ground and also by seed. The globular
flower-heads are followed by spiny fruits which attach themselves
easily to animal fur or human clothing.
It is now illegal to plant Acaena
plants in the wild in Northern Ireland because of the damage their
spread could do to native vegetation.
Some of the species of Acacia
include the Acaena anserinifolia, Acaena argentea, Acaena buchananii,
Acaena caesiiglauca, Acaena exigua – Liliwai, Acaena fissistipula,
Acaena inermis, Acaena laevigata, Acaena lucida, Acaena magellanica,
Acaena microphylla
Did you know?
The Acaena Pinnatifida is a Ferny creeping plant. It has tight
spikes of small creamy flowers with black middles. It grows well in
May-Jun and has ferny foliage of 25cm.
Acaena is a genus of about 100 species.
Acanea needs well drained soil. |
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