Hairy Crabweed

fatoua villosa

Hairy Crabweed (Fatoua villosa) is a fast-growing, opportunistic annual herb that has become a notorious weed across many parts of the world outside its native East Asian habitat. A member of the mulberry family (Moraceae), it thrives in disturbed soils, cultivated gardens, and commercial greenhouses, where it often hitchhikes undetected in the soil of nursery stock. Because of its rapid growth cycle and highly efficient reproductive strategies, it can quickly colonize empty spaces, making it a persistent headache for gardeners and agriculturalists. Despite its classification as an unwanted weed, Hairy Crabweed is a fascinating example of botanical adaptability. It has evolved to complete its life cycle in just a few short weeks, ensuring that even temporary patches of moisture and light are enough for it to produce another generation. Its success lies in its quiet resilience, easily blending in with harmless garden seedlings until it is already established.

生息地: Typically found in disturbed soils, agricultural greenhouses, nursery containers, and shaded garden beds.

外見

This plant is easily identified by its alternate, heart-shaped (ovate) leaves with serrated margins, which strongly resemble those of a young mulberry tree or a nettle. The entire plant, especially the stem and leaves, is covered in distinct, sticky, glandular hairs (trichomes) that give it a slightly dull, rough texture. It produces dense, globose, greenish-yellow to purple flower clusters (cymes) directly in the leaf axils. The plant typically grows upright, ranging from 10 to 80 centimeters in height depending on moisture and nutrient availability.

界Plantae門Tracheophyta綱Magnoliopsida目Rosales科Moraceae属Fatoua

Hairy Crabweed

カテゴリ

植物

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

最初にスナップしよう！

おもしろい事実

Despite looking very much like a harmless mulberry seedling, Hairy Crabweed is actually a true herbaceous member of the mulberry family (Moraceae).

It is a notorious pest in commercial greenhouses, earning the nickname 'the nursery hitchhiker' due to its ability to spread secretly in potted soil.

Its tiny seeds are sticky when wet, allowing them to cling to gardening tools, pots, and shoes to travel even longer distances.

特殊能力

The mature flowers can forcefully eject seeds over short distances, allowing the plant to rapidly colonize neighboring nursery pots.

Its stems and leaves are covered in glandular, sticky hairs that deter crawling herbivores and reduce water loss.

It can transition from a newly germinated seed to a mature, seed-producing adult in as little as four weeks.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 10-80 cm
体重: 0.01-0.15 kg
寿命: 0-1 年
抱卵期間: 5-14 日

食性と食事

As an autotrophic plant, Hairy Crabweed produces its own energy via photosynthesis, absorbing water and vital minerals from the soil through its root system.

主な食物

Sunlight
Water
Carbon dioxide
Soil nutrients

生態系とのつながり

eaten by

Spotted Cucumber Beetle

Diabrotica undecimpunctata

Folivorous beetles frequently feed on the soft leaves of the crabweed.

host plant

Green Peach Aphid

Myzus persicae

Serves as a host reservoir for common agricultural aphid pests.

competitor

Red Mulberry

Morus rubra

Shares the same family (Moraceae) and competes for soil nutrients and light on woodland edges.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Hairy Crabweedを見分けるには？

Hairy Crabweedを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Hairy Crabweedの長さは何ですか？

10-80 cm

Hairy Crabweedの体重は何ですか？

0.01-0.15 kg

Hairy Crabweedの寿命は何ですか？

0-1 年

Hairy Crabweedは何を食べますか？

As an autotrophic plant, Hairy Crabweed produces its own energy via photosynthesis, absorbing water and vital minerals from the soil through its root system.

Hairy Crabweedは通常どこに生息していますか？

Typically found in disturbed soils, agricultural greenhouses, nursery containers, and shaded garden beds.

Hairy Crabweedの抱卵期間は何ですか？

5-14 日