Description

• Scoparia dulcis, commonly known as sweet broomweed, licorice weed, or goatweed, is an annual or short-lived perennial herb in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae).

• It has an upright, highly branched growth habit, with slender green stems that may become woody near the base.

• The leaves are opposite or arranged in whorls, simple, and narrowly lance-shaped to elliptic, with toothed margins.

• Small, white, four-petalled flowers grow singly or in pairs in the leaf axils.

• The fruits are small, rounded capsules containing numerous tiny seeds.

• The plant has a long history of traditional medicinal use in tropical regions, although its safety and effectiveness for treating medical conditions are not established by traditional use alone.

Range

• Native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, although it is now widely distributed throughout tropical regions worldwide.

• It occurs in Mexico, including Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.

Habitat

• Grows in open, disturbed habitats, including roadsides, paths, fields, gardens, grasslands, and woodland margins.

• Favours sunny locations and well-drained soils but can tolerate a range of soil conditions.

• Commonly establishes in warm areas with seasonal rainfall and may grow in both moist sites and locations that experience short dry periods.