Eclipta prostrata (L.) L.

Code

ECLAL

Growth form

broadleaf

Biological cycle

annual

Habitat

marshland

The seeds of Eclipta prostrata have no dormancy and can germinate early in the growing season.

Brazil: Eclipta prostrata has a cycle that can be very rapid, flowering 4 to 6 weeks after germination and fruiting after 100 to 120 days.
China: Eclipta prostrata flowers and fruits from June to September.
Mayotte: Eclipta prostrata flowers from August to February and bears fruit from September to March.
Morocco: Eclipta prostrata flowers from June to October.
Nicaragua: Eclipta prostrata flowers and fruits all year round.

Eclipta prostata is mainly an annual plant (sometimes briefly sustainable), reproducing by seed. The seeds produced in large quantities are dispersed by wind, water and animals.

Eclipta prostata adapts well to changing environmental conditions. Often on little draining land, along the rivers and ditches, marshes, in full sun. Weed common in flooded rice fields. From sea level up to 2000 m altitude.

Brazil: Eclipta prostrata grows in regions with a warm climate and damp soil. It is particularly fond of permanently flooded areas with low water levels. It tolerates salty soils where it can become dominant.
Central Africa: Eclita prostrata is found in more or less humid ruderal and post-cultivation environments, wet ditches, riverbanks, lakes and swamps; up to 2000 m altitude.
French Guiana: Eclipata prostrata likes very humid environments. It is very frequent in the rice fields of Mana, especially along the edges of the plots and along the canals. It is rather rare in vegetables and fruit growing plots, except in very humid vegetable plots.
Madagascar: E. prostrata grows on slightly flooded hydromorphic soils, moist alluvial soils, rich enough, in the sub-humid and humid region. It is present from sea level to an altitude of 1200 m on the edges of canals in the Highlands, the Middle West, West, North-western and eastern side of Madagascar. It is a weed of crops on humid soil on sunny and or lightly shaded ground. It is particularly common in pluvial rice cultivation on more or less humid terrace, or in lowland without water control; vegetables crops, sugar cane, taro, in more or less extensive cropping systems.
Mauritius: ruderal and weed of crops, at all altitudes, but especially common along the coast.
Mayotte: E. prostrata is a naturalized species in a wide range of secondarized and generally humid environments. It is present from the coast, to crops, ditches and urban areas.
Morocco: Eclipta prostrata is an exotic, naturalized and very rare species. It grows in marshes, ditches, wet wastelands and riparian forests up to 500 m altitude.
South Africa: Eclipta prostrata grows along rivers, water furrows and around ponds. Wet sites such as the edges of marshes, the banks of rivers or lakes, the edges of rice paddies, black clay soils with cotton.
West Indies: Eclipta prostrata is a ruderal and shrubby species found in flat, damp environments, especially clay, gutters and ditches.

Global harmfulness

Eclipta prostata is a common weed in flooded rice fields, it can become problematic, particularly in region of low altitude with high rainfall.
 
Local harmfulness

Benin: E. prostrata is rare and scarce in rice fields.
Brazil: Eclipta prostrata is an important weed in the North and North-East regions, for example in onion crops.
Burkina Faso: frequent and scarce.
Ivory Coast: rare and scarce.
Ghana: frequent and generally abundant.
Mali: frequent and generally abundant.
Madagascar: It is a weed quite frequent with a relatively low abundance. It does not present any particular difficulties in the fight except in directly sown crops (nurseries, direct seeding of rice, vegetables).
Mauritius: A weed of crops with a very low frequency and abundance and therefore quite minimal harmfulness.
Nigeria: rare and scarce.
Senegal: frequent and generally abundant.
Uganda: rare and scarce.
Tanzania: frequent and scarce.

Madagascar: Eclipta prostata is an secundary host of nematodes as Meloidogyne incognita.

Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Eclipta%2520prostrata