Common Lantana

Appearance

"Lantana camara" is a small perennial shrub which can grow to around 2 m tall and form dense thickets in a variety of environments. Due to extensive selective breeding throughout the 17th and 18th Centuries for use as an ornamental plant, there are now many different "L. camara" cultivars.

"L. camara" has small tubular shaped flowers, which each have four petals and are arranged in clusters in terminal areas stems.

Flowers come in many different colours, including red, yellow, white, pink and orange, which differ depending on location in inflorescences, age, and maturity. The flower has a tutti frutti smell with a peppery undertone.

After pollination occurs the colour of the flowers changes; this is believed to be a signal to pollinators that the pre-change colour contains a reward as well as being sexually viable, thus increasing pollination efficiency.

The leaves are broadly ovate, opposite, and simple and have a strong odour when crushed.

The fruit of "L. camara" is a berry-like drupe which turns from green to dark purple when mature. Green unripe fruits are inedible to humans and animals alike. Because of dense patches of hard spikes on their rind, ingestion of them can result in serious damage to the digestive tract.

Distribution

The native range of "Lantana camara" is Central and South America; however, it has become naturalised in around 60 tropical and sub-tropical countries worldwide. It is found frequently in east and southern Africa, where it occurs at altitudes below 2000 m, and often invades previously disturbed areas such as logged forests and areas cleared for agriculture.

Habitat

"Lantana camara" is found in a variety of environments, including:
⤷  Agricultural areas
⤷  Forest margins and gaps
⤷  Riparian zones
⤷  Grasslands
⤷  Secondary forest
⤷  Beach fronts

"L. camara" is rarely found in natural or semi-natural areas of forest, as it is unable to compete with taller trees due to its lack of tolerance for shade. Instead it grows at the forest edge.

"L. camara" can survive in a wide range of climatic conditions, including drought, different soil types, heat, humidity and salt. It is also relatively fire tolerant and can quickly establish itself in recently burnt areas of forest.

Reproduction

Both vegetative and seed reproduction occur. Up to 12,000 fruits can be produced by each plant which are then eaten by birds and other animals which can spread the seeds over large distances, facilitating the spread of "L. camara".

Defense

"Lantana camara" is known to be toxic to livestock such as cattle, sheep, horses, dogs and goats. The active substances causing toxicity in grazing animals are pentacyclic triterpenoids, which result in liver damage and photosensitivy. "L. camara" also excretes allelopathic chemicals, which reduce the growth of surrounding plants by inhibiting germination and root elongation.

Uses

"Lantana camara" stalks have been used in the construction of furniture, such as chairs and tables; however, the main uses have historically been medicinal and ornamental.