goatsrue
(Galega officinalis)
This species is Introduced in the United States
Appearance
Galega officinalis is an herbaceous, perennial plant found in Utah, Pennsylvania, and New York that can grow up to 6 ft. (1.8 m) in height. Plants are shrubby.
Foliage
Leaves are multi-stemmed with alternate, pinnately compound.
Flowers
Purple to white, pea-like flowers are arranged in terminal or axillary racemes and are present from June to July.
Fruit
Fruits are short pods with up to 9 seeds each.
Ecological Threat
Galega officinalis invades wet, disturbed areas such as streambanks, low pastures, and ditches. It can form dense thickets and is toxic to livestock.
Citations
Rawlins, K.A., R.L. Winston, C.T. Bargeron, D.J. Moorhead, and R. Carroll. 2018. New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral United States. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team, Morgantown, West Virginia. FHTET-2017-04. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/pdf/FHTET-2017-04_New%20Invaders_NE.pdf
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzländer. 2014. New Invaders of the Northwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/FHTET-2014-12_NW_New_Invaders.pdf
Galega officinalis is an herbaceous, perennial plant found in Utah, Pennsylvania, and New York that can grow up to 6 ft. (1.8 m) in height. Plants are shrubby.
Foliage
Leaves are multi-stemmed with alternate, pinnately compound.
Flowers
Purple to white, pea-like flowers are arranged in terminal or axillary racemes and are present from June to July.
Fruit
Fruits are short pods with up to 9 seeds each.
Ecological Threat
Galega officinalis invades wet, disturbed areas such as streambanks, low pastures, and ditches. It can form dense thickets and is toxic to livestock.
Citations
Rawlins, K.A., R.L. Winston, C.T. Bargeron, D.J. Moorhead, and R. Carroll. 2018. New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral United States. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team, Morgantown, West Virginia. FHTET-2017-04. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/pdf/FHTET-2017-04_New%20Invaders_NE.pdf
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzländer. 2014. New Invaders of the Northwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/FHTET-2014-12_NW_New_Invaders.pdf
Resources
- Domestic Programs Pest Evaluation - USDA APHIS PPQ
- Noxious weeds of the Federal Noxious Weed Act - USDA APHIS PPQ
- Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the U.S. - USDA-APHIS
- Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
- California Invasive Plant Council
- California Noxious Weeds
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 1994.
- Federal Noxious Weeds
- Florida Noxious Weeds
- Indiana Invasive Species Council - Invasive Plant List
- Massachusetts Noxious Weeds
- Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- Nevada EDRR
- Nevada Noxious Weeds
- New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral
- New Invaders of the Northwest
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Oregon Noxious Weeds
- Pacific Northwest Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1998
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Invasive Plants
- Pennsylvania Noxious Weeds
- Pennsylvania Regulations for Controlled Plants and Noxious Weeds
- South Carolina Plant Pest List
- Utah Noxious Weeds - Early Detection
- Washington Noxious Weeds
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Rosanae |
| Order: Fabales |
| Family: Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: Faboideae |
| Tribe: Galegeae |
| Genus: Galega |
| Galega officinalis |
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.