Drymaria cordata (L) Willd.ex Roem. & Schult

Mayotte: Drymaria cordata flowers from April to September and fruits from May to Ocotber.

Comoros: Drymaria cordata is a species present in the three islands of the Comoros, particularly in humid zones, from the coast to 700 m altitude.
Madagascar: Species with a preference for cool places or somewhat shaded, near forests or humid places or on embankments and bunds of rice fields on the central highlands and the wet eastern slope.
Mauritius: Weed very common in humid and very humid areas on the island.
Mayotte: D. cordata is commonly naturalized in anthropized environments, crops, pastures, wastelands and inhabited areas. It is mainly present in the north of the island, but it can also be found in the center of the island.
Reunion: D. cordata species showing an important polymorphism often in relation to the altitude of installation. This is an important weed of humid areas. It prefers moist soils and sunny or partially shaded areas.
Seychelles: Species present at all altitudes but especially loving the shade and moisture.
West Indies: Drymaria cordata is a typical plant of humid and shady environments. It is not very demanding in terms of soil quality and grows in both urban and cultivated areas.

Local harmfulness

Comoros: Drymaria cordata is a common weed of cassava fields and vegetable crops.
French Guiana: A species whose frequency and abundance is low in the vegetable crops of French Guiana.
Madagascar: Its frequency in crops is low but it can be annoying sometimes in crop fields of the lowlands (vegetables, taro ...) or in irrigation canals or drainage of lowland (cost of works Cleaning and maintenance).
Mauritius: abundant weed in sugar cane fields where it has an average harmfulness. It can also compete moderately or strongly with some vegetable crops.
Mayotte: D. cordata is an infrequent weed, present in 3% of cultivated plots, but more particularly in ylang-ylang fields.
Reunion: Species uncommon (Fr = 10%) but considered a major local weed on irrigated and fertilized soil, where D. cordata has become a real problem, up to a coverage of 70-85%.
Seychelles D. cordata competes with seedlings of certain crops for light and nutrients and increases the moisture at the base of cultivated plants. Weed common and often abundant for a wide range of crops, especially those requiring moist conditions, such as watercress.
West Indies: Drymaria cordata occurs in all crops. When it becomes abundant, it forms a dense plant cover that quickly competes with low vegetable crops (lettuce, onions, celery, etc.).

Agronomic: Drymaria cordata is used as a service plant in banana plantations in the West Indies. Its ability to creep and cover soils evenly in shady conditions has been exploited in banana plantations. It is selected and multiplied as a service plant, offering numerous agronomic advantages (protection and improvement of the biological activity of the soil, effective control of nematode populations and development of biodiversity (useful insects)) in established banana plantations.

    Catalog of service plants - source IT² - West Indies (Ecophyto website - page 53)
    Small guide to plant cover - source IT² - Antilles (Ecophyto website)
    the descriptive sheet on Drymaria cordata - source FREDOM of Martinique (on the COATIS-RITA website).

 

Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Drymaria%2520cordata