Eclipta prostrata
Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (syn.: E. alba (L.) Hassk., Verbesina prostrata L.) (Am.) – An exceptional and ephemeral alien. Recorded once as a grain alien in the port of Gent in 2000 (Verloove 2003). It was recently also found introduced in containers with olive trees from the Mediterranean in garden centers (Hoste & al. 2009) and has been observed on various occasions as a weed in nurseries (indoors), especially in Limburg (comm. L. Andriessen). In Châtelineau Eclipta prostrata was found as a weed on a parking place of a garden center in 2012 (comm. M. Lannoy). Unfavorable climatological conditions will probably prevent a naturalization of this species in western Europe.
In southern Europe, however, Eclipta prostrata is an increasing weed, especially in damp habitats (rice fields, irrigated fields, exposed lake and river margins, etc.).
Eclipta prostrata is here accepted in a broad sense. Some recent authors tend to reinstate former segregates of it, including E. alba (e.g. Unemoto & Koyama 2007).
Selected literature:
Buker W.E. (1975) Three notable western Pennsylvania Composites. Castanea 40(1): 86-87.
Crespo M.B., Garcia R. & Manso M.L. (1988) Noves dades corològiques d' Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. al País Valencià. Collect Bot. 17(2): 310-311. [available online at: http://collectaneabotanica.revistas.csic.es/index.php/collectaneabotanica/article/view/147/149]
Dihoru G. & Sârbu A. (1998) Eclipta prostrata (fam. Asteraceae) neophyte in the Romanian flora (in Romanian). Acta Bot. Horti Bucuresti 1996-1997: 95-99.
Dubyna D.V., Zhmud O.I. & Chorna G.A. (2003) Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Asteraceae) and Diplachne fascicularis (Lam.) P. Beauv. (Poaceae) are the new species for Ukraine flora (in Ukrainian). Ukr. Bot. Zhurn. 60(4): 419-426.
Hoste I., Verloove F., Nagels C., Andriessen L. & Lambinon J. (2009) De adventievenflora van in België ingevoerde mediterrane containerplanten. Dumortiera 97: 1-16. [available online at: http://www.botanicgarden.be/DUMORTIERA/DUM_97/Dum%2097_1-16_Mediterrane%20containerplanten_Hoste%20et%20al.pdf]
Kumar A. & Khanna K.K. (1999) A new variety of Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Asteraceae). J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 23(3): 713-714.
Kumar E.S.S., Nair G.M. & Yeragi S.S. (2004) Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. var. dixitii Anand Kumar & Khanna (Asteraceae) - a new record for South India (Kerala). J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 28: 507-509.
Peric R. & Rilak S. (2017) Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Compositae), an adventive species new to the flora of Serbia. Botanica Serbica 41(1): 89-93. [available online at: http://botanicaserbica.bio.bg.ac.rs/arhiva/pdf/2017_41_1_686_full.pdf]
Unemoto S. & Koyama H. (2007) A new species of Eclipta (Compositae : Heliantheae) and its allies in eastern Asia. Thai Forest Bull., Bot. 35: 108-118. [available online at: https://www.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ThaiForestBulletin/article/view/24209]
Uyemura S. (1998) Eclipta alba Hassk., one of the common weeds naturalized to Osaka Prefecture (in Japanese). Kinki Shokubutsu Dokokai Kaishi 21: 21-26.
Verloove F. (2003) Graanadventieven nieuw voor de Belgische flora, hoofdzakelijk in 1999 en 2000. Dumortiera 80: 45-53. [available online at: http://alienplantsbelgium.be/sites/alienplantsbelgium.be/files/dum80p45.pdf]