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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. |
Question | Comments | Reference | Rating |
Establishment | |||
Germination requirements? | See D. stramonium. | H | |
Establishment requirements? | Can establish under moderate canopy – occurs in “wooded” habitats and canopy microclimates. | Ballare et al (1988) Ratera (1981) | MH |
How much disturbance is required? | Establishes in vigorously growing crops, e.g. summer crops, early winter crops. | Monaghan & Felton (1979) Everist (1981) | MH |
Growth/Competitive | |||
Life form? | See D. stramonium. | L | |
Allelopathic properties? | None described. | L | |
Tolerates herb pressure? | See D. stramonium. | MH | |
Normal growth rate? | See D. stramonium. | Also see Gonzalez et al (1991) | MH |
Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Tolerant of water logging (occurs in riverbeds and banks), drought (occurs in Central Australia, California). | Henderson (1995) P & C (1992) | ML |
Reproduction | |||
Reproductive system | Reproducing by seed. | P & C (1992) | ML |
Number of propagules produced? | Assumed similar to D. stramonium, as has similar fruit and habit. | P & C (1992) | H |
Propagule longevity? | See D. stramonium. | H | |
Reproductive period? | See D. stramonium. | H | |
Time to reproductive maturity? | See D. stramonium. | H | |
Dispersal | |||
Number of mechanisms? | See D. stramonium. | MH | |
How far do they disperse? | See D. stramonium. | MH |