Weeds bushland upper 2010 - naturalresources.sa.gov.au · originates from south-west Europe and is...
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WEED ALERT Bushland Weeds of the Upper Onkaparinga Catchment A native to the Mediterranean, Montpellier Broom was introduced to Australia as a garden plant. It grows to 3 m and has foliage which is soft to touch with fine hairs on both sides. Leaves are divided into three leaflets. Yellow pea-shaped flowers appear in spring. Montpellier Broom is highly invasive and is often found along the margins of bushland, before expanding into less disturbed areas. It exploits a similar niche to many indigenous understorey plants and therefore directly competes with them for resources and space. Broom spreads from seed which is able to lay dormant in the soil for many years and germinate in response to disturbance. Seed can also be spread by birds, ants, livestock, machinery and water. As the common name suggests, English Broom was introduced from the UK as a garden plant. It is still commonly found in local commercial plant nurseries. English Broom grows to 4 m and has erect or arching branches with ribbing pattern along them. Leaves are divided into three leaflets, smaller and darker green than Montpellier Broom. Pure yellow or yellow and red pea- shaped flowers occur in spring and summer. Like Montpellier Broom, English Broom spreads from seed which is able to lay dormant in the soil for many years which germinates in response to disturbance. Seeds can be spread by birds, ants, livestock, machinery and water. Montpellier Broom Genista monspessulana English Broom Cytisus scoparius African Weed-orchid Monadenia bracteata Sweet Pittosporum Pittosporum undulatum African Weed-orchid was first recorded in SA in the late 1980s and has now spread to woodlands, roadsides and grazing country. This plant has single, paired or clustered leaves emerging in early spring, which are green on the upper side and purplish red beneath. Leaves are followed by a stem to 40 cm high which is upright, green and fleshy with 20-60 small flowers along it. African Weed-orchid excludes smaller indigenous flora such as Orchids, Lilies and grasses. Flowering and seeding occur over late spring to early summer with each flower potentially producing 1000 tiny seeds. Seeds are dispersed by animals, clothing or earth moving activities and can remain viable for up to 7 years. An north-eastern Australian native Sweet Pittosporum is not indigenous to SA. It is a densely foliaged evergreen tree or shrub 4-14 m high. Leaves are a shiny dark green on top and lighter underneath with a prominent mid- vein. Creamy white, fragrant flowers appear from mid-winter to early spring, followed by orange- coloured fruit. Sweet Pittosporum provides dense shade and conditions beneath the tree which naturally exclude indigenous plants and favour weeds. This tree has been introduced to the hills by gardeners where birds (mostly European Blackbirds) consume the fruits and spread the seed into bushland areas. Erica is a shrub to 3 m which originates from south-west Europe and is often mistaken as an indigenous plant. It is dense and multi-stemmed with small leaves occurring in crowded whorls along the branches. Pink flowering buds emerge in winter and open into dense clusters of mostly white, bell shaped, flowers approximately 5 mm long. Erica is commonly found along the roadsides and other disturbed areas but can also expand into bushland. It exploits a similar niche to many indigenous understorey plants and therefore directly competes with them for resources and space. Erica spreads via fine seed which is transported by animals, vehicles and machinery. As the name suggests African Daisy originates from Africa. It is an erect, hard, sometimes woody stemmed shrub to 3 m high. Leaves are dark green above and white and woolly below with toothed edges. Dense yellow flowers are produced in summer and autumn. During the 1960s, the Adelaide Hills were heavily infested with African Daisy which flourishes in the moderate to high rainfall areas. African Daisy seeds are adapted for dispersal by wind and water but most seeds fall close to parent plants. Spread is mainly through surface water movement and within mud stuck to animals, clothes and machinery. African Daisy Senecio pterophorus Tree Heath, Spanish Heath Erica spp. A native to South Africa, Bulbil Watsonia was introduced as an ornamental garden plant. Leaves are flat and sword-like to 80 cm emerging from bulb-like structures called bulbils, in winter. The flowering stem develops in spring with tubular, mostly orange flowers. Watsonia dies back over summer, forming dense mulch which stops regeneration of other species. It is widespread but forms the most dense infestations in moist areas. It spreads mostly from new bulbils which appear on the flowering stem post-flowering which germinate the following winter. Bulbil Watsonia Watsonia meriana var. bulbilifera Sydney Golden Wattle Acacia longifolia var. longifolia A small number of copies of this educational resource may be produced for educational purposes. Under no circumstances can this resource be sold for profit. An Australian native, not indigenous to the area, Sydney Golden Wattle has found its way here from Eastern States as a garden plant. Sydney Golden Wattle has long flower spikelets. It is now appearing in many hills locations including roadsides, bushland and watercourses. This means it is competing for space with local Wattle species and growing ‘unchecked’ from insects and other predators and parasites which would otherwise help in its control within its normal distribution area. Seeds are dispersed by birds such as Lorikeets and Rosellas and in surface water flow. Photo: K Blood 2001 CRC Weed Management Systems Environmental weeds: a field guide for SE Australia
Transcript of Weeds bushland upper 2010 - naturalresources.sa.gov.au · originates from south-west Europe and is...
WEED ALERTBushland Weeds
of the UpperOnkaparingaCatchment
A native to the Mediterranean,Montpellier Broom was introduced toAustralia as a garden plant. It grows to3 m and has foliage which is soft totouch with fine hairs on both sides.Leaves are divided into three leaflets.Yellow pea-shaped flowers appear inspring.
Montpellier Broom is highly invasiveand is often found along the marginsof bushland, before expanding intoless disturbed areas. It exploits asimilar niche to many indigenousunderstorey plants and thereforedirectly competes with them forresources and space.
Broom spreads from seed which isable to lay dormant in the soil for manyyears and germinate in response todisturbance. Seed can also be spreadby birds, ants, livestock, machineryand water.
As the common name suggests,English Broom was introducedfrom the UK as a garden plant. It isstill commonly found in localcommercial plant nurseries.English Broom grows to 4 m andhas erect or arching brancheswith ribbing pattern along them.Leaves are divided into threeleaflets, smaller and darker greenthan Montpellier Broom. Pureyellow or yellow and red pea-shaped flowers occur in springand summer.
Like Montpellier Broom, EnglishBroom spreads from seed whichis able to lay dormant in the soil formany years which germinates inresponse to disturbance. Seedscan be spread by birds, ants,livestock, machinery and water.
Montpellier BroomGenista monspessulana
English BroomCytisus scoparius
African Weed-orchidMonadenia bracteata
Sweet Pittosporum
Pittosporum undulatum
African Weed-orchid was firstrecorded in SA in the late 1980sand has now spread to woodlands,roadsides and grazing country.This plant has single, paired orclustered leaves emerging in earlyspring, which are green on theupper side and purplish redbeneath. Leaves are followed by astem to 40 cm high which is upright,green and fleshy with 20-60 smallflowers along it.African Weed-orchid excludessmaller indigenous flora such asOrchids, Lilies and grasses.Flowering and seeding occur overlate spring to early summer witheach flower potentially producing1000 tiny seeds. Seeds aredispersed by animals, clothing orearth moving activities and canremain viable for up to 7 years.
An north-eastern Australiannative Sweet Pittosporum is notindigenous to SA. It is a denselyfoliaged evergreen tree or shrub4-14 m high. Leaves are a shinydark green on top and lighterunderneath with a prominent mid-vein. Creamy white, fragrantflowers appear from mid-winter toearly spring, followed by orange-coloured fruit.
Sweet Pittosporum providesdense shade and conditionsbeneath the tree which naturallyexclude indigenous plants andfavour weeds.
This tree has been introduced tothe hills by gardeners where birds(mostly European Blackbirds)consume the fruits and spread theseed into bushland areas.
Erica is a shrub to 3 m whichoriginates from south-west Europeand is often mistaken as anindigenous plant. It is dense andmulti-stemmed with small leavesoccurring in crowded whorls alongthe branches. Pink flowering budsemerge in winter and open intodense clusters of mostly white, bellshaped, flowers approximately 5mm long.
Erica is commonly found along theroadsides and other disturbed areasbut can also expand into bushland.It exploits a similar niche to manyindigenous understorey plants andtherefore directly competes withthem for resources and space. Ericaspreads via fine seed which istransported by animals, vehiclesand machinery.
As the name suggests African Daisy
originates from Africa. It is an erect,
hard, sometimes woody stemmed
shrub to 3 m high. Leaves are dark
green above and white and woolly
below with toothed edges. Dense
yellow flowers are produced in
summer and autumn.
During the 1960s, the Adelaide Hills
were heavily infested with African
Daisy which flourishes in the
moderate to high rainfall areas.
African Daisy seeds are adapted for
dispersal by wind and water but most
seeds fall close to parent plants.
Spread is mainly through surface
water movement and within mud
stuck to animals, clothes and
machinery.
African DaisySenecio pterophorus
Tree Heath, SpanishHeathErica spp.
A native to South Africa, Bulbil
Watsonia was introduced as an
ornamental garden plant.
Leaves are flat and sword-like to 80
cm emerging from bulb-l ike
structures called bulbils, in winter.
The flowering stem develops in
spring with tubular, mostly orange
flowers.
Watsonia dies back over summer,
forming dense mulch which stops
regeneration of other species. It is
widespread but forms the most
dense infestations in moist areas.
It spreads mostly from new bulbils
which appear on the flowering stem
post-flowering which germinate the
following winter.
Bulbil WatsoniaWatsonia meriana var.bulbilifera
Sydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolia var.longifolia
A small number of copies of this educational resource may beproduced for educational purposes. Under no circumstances canthis resource be sold for profit.
AnAustralian native, not indigenous
to the area, Sydney Golden Wattle
has found its way here from Eastern
States as a garden plant.
Sydney Golden Wattle has long
flower spikelets.
It is now appearing in many hills
locations including roadsides,
bushland and watercourses. This
means it is competing for space with
local Wattle species and growing
‘unchecked’ from insects and other
predators and parasites which
would otherwise help in its control
within its normal distribution area.
Seeds are dispersed by birds such
as Lorikeets and Rosellas and in
surface water flow.
Photo: K Blood 2001CRC Weed Management Systems
Environmental weeds: a fieldguide for SE Australia
