Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Senecio elegans L.

Synonyms

Senecio pseudo-elegans Less.

Family

Asteraceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)
Compositae (South Australia)

Common Names

purple groundsel, purple ragwort, red purple ragwort, redpurple ragwort, wild cineraria

Origin

Native to southern Africa (i.e. Cape Province in South Africa).

Naturalised Distribution

Widely naturalised in the coastal districts of southern Australia (i.e. southern and central New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, south-eastern South Australia and south-western Western Australia). Also naturalised on Lord Howe Island.

Naturalised overseas in New Zealand, south-western USA (i.e. California) and the Azores.

Notes

Purple groundsel (Senecio elegans) is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. This garden escape is primarily a weed of coastal environs, particularly sand dunes, in the temperate regions of Australia where it is spreading rapidly and displacing the indigenous vegetation.