Eupatorium capillifolium

Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small ex. Porter & Britton

Common Names: Dog Fennel

Family: Asteraceae

Habit: Eupatorium capillifolium a woody, pubescent, perennial herb to 3 meters in height (usually shorter). The leaves are arranged oppositely, to 5 cm in length, twice pinnately compound and divided into filiform leaflets.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged in corymbs of heads subtended an involucre made of 2 series of phyllaries. Each head has 3-6 flowers. The calyx is modified as hairs forming a pappus.  The corolla has 5, fused white/green petals.  There are 5 stamens fused to the base of the corolla.  The ovary is inferior with a single locule.  The fruit is an achene at maturity that retains the wide spreading modified calyx (pappus).

Habitat: Eupatorium capillifolium grows in Pine Woodlands, coastal Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formations – Shrublands and Human Altered environments.

Distribution: Eupatorium capillifolium occurs throughout the entire Lucayan Archipelago and the southern United States. It now also occurs in Central and northern South America.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Eupatorium capillifolium is not used medicinally in the Bahamas.