Invasiveness Assessment - African daisy (Senecio pterophorus) in Victoria (Nox)
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Plant invasiveness is determined by evaluating a plant’s biological and ecological characteristics against criteria that encompass establishment requirements, growth rate and competitive ability, methods of reproduction, and dispersal mechanisms.
| Each characteristic, or criterion, is assessed against a list of intensity ratings. Depending upon information found, a rating of Low, Medium Low, Medium High or High is assigned to that criterion. Where no data is available to answer a criterion, a rating of medium (M) is applied. A description of the invasiveness criteria and intensity ratings used in this process can be viewed here. |
The following table provides information on the invasiveness of African daisy.
A more detailed description of the methodology of the Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method can be viewed below:
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (PDF - 630 KB)
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (DOC - 1026 KB)
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Common Name: African daisy
Scientific name: Senecio pterophorus
| Question | Comments | Reference | Rating |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | “Most seeds germinate with the opening rains in April or May but a few continue to germinate through winter”. | P & C (1992 p. 307) | MH |
| Establishment requirements? | Established in sclerophyll forest and woodland where it would receive some shading. | Carr et al (1992) | MH |
| How much disturbance is required? | Invades lowland grassland and grassy woodland, dry sclerophyll forest and woodland. Also invades grazing and cropping land. | Carr et al (1992) P & C (1992 p. 306) | MH |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | Erect woody shrub. Other. | P & C (1992 p. 306) | L |
| Allelopathic properties? | No Allelopathic properties described. |  | L |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | “Animals rarely eat the plant”. | P & C (1992 p. 307) | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | “Seedlings establish quickly…it competes aggressively with developing pastures and crops”. | P & C (1992 p. 307) | H |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Tolerant of drought (occurs in central and northern Victoria). “Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions”. Perhaps some salinity/water logging or perhaps some moderate fires as ‘new growth is produced from the crown’ annually. (P & C 1992 p. 307). | P & C (1992 p. 306) P & C (1992 p. 307) | ML |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | “Reproducing from a perennial crown and by seed”. - New growth produced from crown, not a dispersal mechanism. | P & C (1992 p. 306) | ML |
| Number of propagules produced? | “Mature plants produce about 50,000 seeds annually”. | P & C (1992 p. 307) | H |
| Propagule longevity? | ? | | M |
| Reproductive period? | “Some plants persist for 7 to 10 years”. | P & C (1992 p. 307) | MH |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | Seeds germinate in April or May - flowers and seeds produced in November. | P & C (1992 p. 307) | H |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Wind, water, animals, clothing, agricultural produce, machinery. | P & C (1992 p. 307) | MH |
| How far do they disperse? | All above mechanisms (except wind) could disperse many seeds. 200-1,000 m | P & C (1992 p. 307) | MH |
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