Asteraceae

Ageratum houstonianum

Common Names: Blue Mink

Plant Form: Erect annual herb. Size: Up to 1 m tall. Stem: Covered in fine white hairs, becoming woody towards base with age. Leaves: Bright green, vary from triangular to egg-shaped. Up to 7 cm long and with a sparse covering of hairs on both sides. Flowers: Blue, lavender or sometimes white, with dense clustered flowerheads of 5-15 flowers with pom-pom like appearance. With bracts covered in sticky hairs. Fruit and Seeds: Black, with 5 whitish bristles. Habitat: Pastures, wetlands, waste areas, old gardens, cropping areas. Distinguishing Features: Distinguished from very similar Billygoat weed (Ageratum conyzoides) by having many sticky hairs on flower bracts. Distinguished from Praxelis (Praxelis clematidea) by having blunt rather than sharp toothed edges.