Economic Significance

Usually small plants appressed to the ground, the species of Soliva are found as weeds of thin pasture on dry soils, waste places, lawns and greens. While they have little pastoral significance, it is as invaders of lawns and greens that S. sessilis and S. valdiviana have achieved prominence under the local names of “Jo Jo weed” or “Onehunga weed.”

Apart from occupying sward space, the species have considerable nuisance effect in that the sharp terminal spines of the fruits cause acute personal discomfort to users of lawns and greens owing to the fruits catching in clothes and footwear and puncturing the skin. On a number of occasions I have observed the fruits of S. sessilis and S. valdiviana attached to canvas shoes, socks and other clothing of persons using infested greens, and have had to remove fruits from the soles of children's feet. The distribution of the species within a locality indicates that fruit dispersal by human beings is responsible for the spread of the