Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Calyptocarpus vialis Less.

Family

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

Common Names

creeping cinderella, creeping cinderella weed, prostrate lawn-flower, sprawling horseweed, straggler daisy

Origin

Native to Mexico, Central America (i.e. El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras) and Cuba.

Naturalised Distribution

This creeping introduced plant is a widespread weed of the warmer parts of eastern Australia (i.e. in eastern Queensland and some parts of north-eastern New South Wales).

Widely naturalised in other parts of the world, including in southern USA (i.e. Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Illinois) and on some Pacific islands (i.e. Kiribati, Midway Atoll and Hawaii).

Notes

Creeping cinderella weed (Calyptocarpus vialis) was first collected at Toowong, in Brisbane, in April 1946. It has spread significantly since its introduction and is now a common weed of lawns, parks, gardens, roadsides, disturbed sites, waste areas and plantation crops in the sub-tropical and tropical coastal regions of eastern Australia.

However, creeping cinderella weed (Calyptocarpus vialis) is also often found growing in urban bushland and riparian areas in south-eastern Queensland, and is reported to be invasive in the understorey of riparian forests in central Queensland. It has recently also spread into northern New South Wales, and is a potential weed of natural habitats in this region.