Experts issue warning on seemingly innocent flower that poses toxic threat: 'We still have time to stop it'

A yellow flower from the daisy family is invading the Spanish countryside and leaving a wake of negative effects, according to Ara.

What's happening?

The Senecio inaequidens made its way from South Africa to Europe through the wool trade over a hundred years ago. It has quickly been able to take over degraded habitats where competition is low and spreads an average of 10,000 seeds per plant. In Spain's Catalonia region, this aggressive spread has caused a loss of vital crops, such as lavender, savory, hyssop, and thyme. 

Why is Senecio important?

The most challenging aspect of Senecio inaequidens is its toxicity. It releases a pyrrolizidine alkaloid through its roots and decaying material, which contaminates the soil and prevents other plants from germinating nearby.

Worse still, this toxin bioaccumulates in livestock and pollinators. This means it can get into milk, honey, and herbs that people consume. This can translate to increased cancer and liver risks in humans.

Invasive species take over new environments thanks to a lack of natural predators and intense propagation. When left unchecked, an invasive plant or animal can establish monopolies on food, space, water, and other vital resources.

Invasives can cause biodiversity decline and a reduction in vital ecosystem services that others depend on. One estimate suggests that these amount to hundreds of billions of dollars in annual losses. 

What's being done about Senecio?

Herbicides haven't been entirely effective in clearing this invasive species, and tilling serves only to spread it more quickly. Studies are ongoing to establish removal strategies, but manual uprooting over multiple seasons has proved to be a reliable solution for controlling Senecio.

To do so, Spanish communities have banded together to eradicate the invasive plant from the countryside. The Defendemos la Vansa Association has been leading volunteer missions to clear Senecio inaequidens from fields in Catalonia.

"Many farmers who subsist on small farms, when they lose their pastures, give up. And with them, we lose the landscape and the socioeconomics. But we still have time to stop it," biologist and initiative leader Daniel Siscart told Ara.

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