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Invasiveness Assessment - African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) 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 lovegrass.

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)
To view the information PDF requires the use of a PDF reader. This can be installed for free from the Adobe website (external link).

Common Name: African lovegrass
Scientific name: Eragrostis curvula

Question
Comments
Reference
Rating
Establishment
Germination requirements?“Seeds germinate in autumn or spring if sufficient moisture is available”.
P & C (1992 P. 107)
MH
Establishment requirements?“Invasive in heathlands, woodlands. Would receive some shading in such ecosystems.
MH
How much disturbance is required?“Invasive in heathlands, woodlands. Would receive some shading in such ecosystems. Forest, grasslands and riverine environments”.
Muyt (2001 p. 70)
H
Growth/Competitive
Life form?Perennial grass.
P & C (1992 P. 106)
MH
Allelopathic properties?No Allelopathic properties described.
L
Tolerates herb pressure?“Generally considered to be an unpalatable weed although in South Africa, Argentina and the United States some strains are looked on as valuable pasture grasses”.
P & C (1992 P. 107)
MH
Normal growth rate?“It is an aggressive, tenacious species capable of dominating the ground flora”.
Muyt (2001 p. 70)
MH
Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?Drought and frost tolerant.

Occurs in freshwater wetland (seasonal).
Muyt (2001 p. 70)
Carr et al (1992)
MH
Reproduction
Reproductive system“Reproducing apomictically (without fertilisation) by seed”.
P & C (1992 P. 106)
ML
Number of propagules produced?“Ability to produce copious quantities of seed”.

“Plants produce large quantities of seed”.
P & C (1992 P. 108)
Muyt (2001 p. 70)
H
Propagule longevity??
M
Reproductive period?? Likely produces propagules > 3 years as a perennial spp.
MH
Time to reproductive maturity?Germinates autumn/spring plants re sprout the following spring flowers in early summer.
P & C (1992 P. 107)
MH
Dispersal
Number of mechanisms?Wind, animals, humans, vehicles, etc.
P & C (1992 P. 107)
MH
How far do they disperse?“One of the most important means of spread is as a contaminant of soils and gravel’s used in road making and during road grading”.
P & C (1992 P. 107)
MH


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