Milkflower Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lacteus)

Present distribution

Scientific name:	Cotoneaster lacteus W.W. Smith
Common name(s):	Milkflower Cotoneaster

Map showing the present distribution of this weed.

Habitat:

Reported mostly in association with gardens and intentional cultivation, including cemetery and garden surrounds and scrubland (Webb et al 1988). This species is native to the Himalayas of SW China, Tolerant of frosts, drought, maritime exposure and some shading, while susceptible to waterlogging (PFAF 2002). Is present distribution in Victoria corresponds with lowland forest (AVH 2006).

Potential distribution

Potential distribution produced from CLIMATE modelling refined by applying suitable landuse and vegetation type overlays with CMA boundaries

Map Overlays Used

Land Use:
Horticulture

Broad vegetation types
Coastal scrubs and grassland; coastal grassy woodland; lowland forest; inland slopes woodland; montane dry woodland; sub-alpine woodland; plains grassy woodland; valley grassy forest; sub-alpine grassy woodland; montane grassy woodland; riverine grassy woodland; rainshadow woodland

Colours indicate possibility of Cotoneaster lacteus infesting these areas.

In the non-coloured areas the plant is unlikely to establish as the climate, soil or landuse is not presently suitable.

Map showing the potential distribution of milkflower cotoneaster

Red= Very high	Orange = Medium
Yellow = High	Green = Likely

Impact

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Social
1. Restrict human access?	Is used as a hedging plant (PFAF 2002). Therefore able to form dense stands and may require significant works to clear for access.	h	m
2. Reduce tourism?	Ornamental species may alter the aesthetics.	ml	l
3. Injurious to people?	Cotoneaster berries are poisonous if consumed in large quantities (Shepherd 2004). In 1983-84 1.29% of the reports involving plants made to the Poisons centres in Australia involved a Cotoneaster species (Covacevich, Davie & Pearn 1987).	ml	m
4. Damage to cultural sites?	Ornamental species may alter the aesthetics.	ml	l
Abiotic
5. Impact flow?	Terrestrial species	l	m
6. Impact water quality?	Terrestrial species	l	m
7. Increase soil erosion?	Cotoneaster species have been used for soil conservation in their native range (Singh, Bhagwati & Nawa 1992).	l	m
8. Reduce biomass?	Used for hedging, this species can grow to 3m in height (PFAF 2002 and Webb et al 1988). Therefore may replace or increase the biomass of the lower stratum.	ml	m
9. Change fire regime?	There is conflicting information for use of this plant in gardens in areas prone to wildfire (Etlinger & Beall 2004). Therefore this species may have some impact on fire intensity or frequency.	ml	m
Community Habitat
10. Impact on composition (a) high value EVC	EVC= Grassy Woodland (E); CMA= Corangamite; Bioreg= Otway Plain; VH CLIMATE potential. Unknown how this species will act when invading native vegetation. It is a fast growing shrub used for hedging, therefore it could be competitive and form thickets causing some displacement (PFAF 2002).	m	ml
(b) medium value EVC	EVC= Lowland Forest (D); CMA= Corangamite; Bioreg= Otway Plain; VH CLIMATE potential. Unknown how this species will act when invading native vegetation. It is a fast growing shrub used for hedging, therefore it could be competitive and form thickets causing some displacement (PFAF 2002).	m	ml
(c) low value EVC	EVC= Lowland Forest (LC); CMA= West Gippsland; Bioreg= East Gippsland Lowlands; H CLIMATE potential. Unknown how this species will act when invading native vegetation. It is a fast growing shrub used for hedging, therefore it could be competitive and form thickets causing some displacement (PFAF 2002).	m	ml
11. Impact on structure?	Unknown how this species will act when invading native vegetation. It is a fast growing shrub used for hedging, therefore it could be competitive and form thickets causing some displacement (PFAF 2002).	m	ml
12. Effect on threatened flora?	Unknown.	mh	l
Fauna
13. Effect on threatened fauna?	Unknown	mh	l
14. Effect on non-threatened fauna?	Has potential for alteration of habitat, This species is fast growing and is used as a hedging plant (PFAF 2002). Therefore if it is competitive in natural ecosystems, it could cause displacement of native species and create thickets. Therefore the diversity of available food and shelter could be reduced. However its behaviour in native vegetation is unknown.	m	l
15. Benefits fauna?	Additional food source through berries for bird species (PFAF 2002). Dense shrubby vegetation, Cotoneaster species have been reported to be used for nesting sites by bird species (Lu, Zhang & Ren 2003).	m	m
16. Injurious to fauna?	Cotoneaster berries do have toxic properties, toxic to people (Shepherd 2006). However no detrimental effects to fauna reported, birds eat and disperse the berries (Bossard, Randell & Hoshovsky 2000).	l	m
Pest Animal
17. Food source to pests?	Red berries attractive to frugivorous bird species (PFAF 2002). Visited by bees (PFAF 2002).	ml	m
18. Provides harbour?	Cotoneaster species are used as nesting sites by turtledoves (Lu, Zhang & Ren 2003).	ml	m
Agriculture
19. Impact yield?	Not an agricultural weed	l	m
20. Impact quality?	Not an agricultural weed	l	m
21. Affect land value?	Not an agricultural weed	l	m
22. Change land use?	Not an agricultural weed	l	m
23. Increase harvest costs?	Not an agricultural weed	l	m
24. Disease host/vector?	Susceptible to honey fungus (PFAF 2002).	m	m

Invasive

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Establishment
1. Germination requirements?	For propagation of cotoneaster species, seed is recommended to be sown in autumn, or stratified over winter and then sown under glass in spring (Griffths 1992). Therefore there is a seasonal component to the germination of cotoneaster species.	mh	m
2. Establishment requirements?	Can tolerate shading (PFAF 2002).	mh	m
3. How much disturbance is required?	Native to alpine regions the Himalayas of South West China and present distribution records from Australia correspond with areas of lowland forest (AVH 2006 and GRIN 2006). Therefore this species has potential to be invasive in areas of alpine vegetation, however it has been recorded in forest.	mh	ml
Growth/Competitive
4. Life form?	Shrub (Webb et al 1988).	l	mh
5. Allelopathic properties?	No reported for this species, however C. salicifolius has been reported to allelopathic potential (Morita, Ito & Harada 2005).	m	l
6. Tolerates herb pressure?	Not reported grazed, tolerates trimming (PFAF 2002).	mh	m
7. Normal growth rate?	Reported to be fast growing (PFAF 2002).	mh	m
8. Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?	Tolerant of temperatures to -15C (frost) (PFAF 2002). Drought tolerant (Abou-Haidar, Fereres & Harris 1980). Tolerant of maritime exposure (PFAF 2002). Susceptible of waterlogging (PFAF 2002).	mh	m
Reproduction
9. Reproductive system	Reproduces sexually, producing seed in orange-red berries (Bossard, Randell & Hoshovsky 2000). Cotoneaster species are capable of layering, where branches that are in constant contact with the ground can set root (Bossard, Randell & Hoshovsky 2000).	h	mh
10. Number of propagules produced?	Cotoneaster species produce abundant fruit, normally containing between 1-3 seeds (Weber 2003).	h	m
11. Propagule longevity?	Due to the seeds germinating after a 14 month stratification study on C. horizontalis, seed viability was at 38% (Blomme & Degeyter 1985). Unknown however how long a seed can remain viable.	m	l
12. Reproductive period?	Unknown specifically, however C. lacteus is a large shrub and other members of the cotoneaster genus have been noted to have lived for more than 25 years (Dave’s Garden 2006).	h	m
13. Time to reproductive maturity?	Unknown	m	l
Dispersal
14. Number of mechanisms?	Produces red berries, which are then dispersed by birds and animals (Bossard, Randell & Hoshovsky 2000).	h	mh
15. How far do they disperse?	Birds and animals can disperse fruit seeds distances greater than 1km (Spennemann & Allen 2000).	h	mh

References

Abou-Haidar S.S., Fereres E. & Harris R.W., 1980, Drought adaptation of two species of Cotoneaster. Journal of Horticultural Science. 55: 219-227.

Australian National Herbarium (ANH) 2006, Australia’s Virtual Herbarium, Australian National Herbarium, Centre for Plant Diversity and Research, viewed 1 Dec 2006, http://www.anbg.gov.au/avh/

Blomme R. & Degeyter L., 1985, Seed treatments and germination determinations for seeds of Cotoneaster horizontalis. Verbondsnieuws voor de
Belgische Sierteelt. 29: 17-23

Bossard C.C., Randell J.M. & Hoshovsky M.C., 2000 , Invasive plants of California’s wildlands. University of California Press.

Covacevich J., Davie P. & Pearn J., 1987, Toxic plants & animals. A guide for Australia. Queensland Museum. Brisbane

Dave’s Garden: Dave’s Garden “For Gardeners… By Gardeners”. viewed 18 Dec 2006, http://davesgarden.com/

Etlinger M.G. & Beall F.C., 2004, Development of a laboratory protocol for fire performance of landscape plants. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 13: 479-488

Griffths M., 1992, The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. Macmillan. London

GRIN: Germplasm Resources Information Network. GRIN Taxonomy for Plants. viewed 1 Dec 2006, http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl?language=en

Lu X., Zhang L.Y., & Ren C., 2003, Breeding ecology of the rufous turtle dove (Streptopelia orientalis) in mountain scrub vegetation, Lhasa (Tibet). Game & Wildlife Science. 20: 225-240

Morita S., Ito M. & Harada J., 2005, Screening of an allelopathic potential in arbour species. Weed Biology and Management. 5: 26-30

PFAF: Plants for a Future. Edible, medicinal and useful plants for a healthier world. viewed 8 Dec 2002, http://pfaf.org/

Shepherd R.C.H., 2004, Pretty but poisonous. Plants poisonous to people, an Illustrated Guide for Australia. R.G. and F.J. Richardson. Meredith

Singh R.P., Bhagwati P. & Nawa B., 1992, Cotoneaster microphylla Wall. – suitable for soil conservation in temperate regions of Himalayas. Indian Forester. 118: 672-675

Spennemann. D.H.R. & Allen. L.R., 2000, Feral olives (Oliea europaea) as future woody weeds in Australia: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture. 40: 889-901.

Weber, E. 2003, Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds, CABI Publishing, Wallingford.

Webb C.J., Sykes W.R. & Garnock-Jones P.J., 1988, Flora of New Zealand, Vol 4, Botany Division, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Zealand.

Global present distribution data references

Australian National Herbarium (ANH) 2006, Australia’s Virtual Herbarium, Australian National Herbarium, Centre for Plant Diversity and Research, viewed 1 Dec 2006 , http://www.anbg.gov.au/avh/

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) 2006, Global biodiversity information facility: Prototype data portal, viewed 1 Dec 2006, http://www.gbif.org/

Missouri Botanical Gardens (MBG) 2006, w3TROPICOS, Missouri Botanical Gardens Database, viewed 1 Dec 2006, http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html

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