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Invasiveness Assessment - Green cestrum (Cestrum parqui) 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 Green cestrum.

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 - 1 MB)
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Common Name: Green cestrum
Scientific name: Cestrum parqui

Question
Comments
Reference
Rating
Establishment
Germination requirements?Seeds germinate in autumn.
P&C (1992)
MH
Establishment requirements?Can establish under moderate canopy → occurs under trees in scrubby paddocks & along shady creek banks.
McKenzie et al (1988)
MH
How much disturbance is required?Establishes mostly in highly disturbed natural ecosystems e.g. roadsides, suburban allotments, paddocks, fence lines etc.
McKenzie et al (1988)
ML
Growth/Competitive
Life form?Erect shrub → ‘other’.
P&C (1992)
L
Allelopathic properties?None described.
L
Tolerates herb pressure?Cattle graze C. Parqui only after the more palatable species have been depleted.
Orguin et al (1982)
MH
Normal growth rate?Grows well on alluvial river flats often to the exclusion of most other vegetation.
P&C (1992)
H
Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?Frost hardy, occurs in arid areas of South America, perhaps also waterlogging (occurs along creek banks & high rainfall gullies).
P&C (1992)
McNiven (1993)
Champion (1995)
MH
Reproduction
Reproductive systemReproducing from creeping roots & by seed.
P&C (1992)
H
Number of propagules produced?>2,000 assumed due to producing abundant berries containing seeds.
Lavers (1953)
H?
Propagule longevity?Seeds remain dormant in the soil for many years.
P&C (1992)
M
Reproductive period?Plants are ling-lived.
P&C (1992)
MH?
Time to reproductive maturity?Plants are at least 2 years old before flowering.
P&C (1992)
ML
Dispersal
Number of mechanisms?Birds, water, pieces of root dragged by cultivation equipment.
P&C (1992)
H
How far do they disperse?
H


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