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Invasiveness Assessment - Thorn apple (Datura spp.) 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 Thorn apple.

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: Thorn apple
Scientific name: Datura spp.

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 systemReproducing 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


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