Invasiveness Assessment - Tufted honeyflower (Melianthus comosus) in Victoria
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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 Tufted honeyflower.
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)
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Common Name: Tufted honeyflower
Scientific name: Melianthus comosus
| Question | Comments | Reference | Rating |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | “Seeds germinate at any time of the year if moisture is available”. | P & C (1992) | H |
| Establishment requirements? | Habitats appear to be ‘open’. (See picture P & C 1992 p.251). | P & C (1992) | ML |
| How much disturbance is required? | “It grows mainly in disturbed situations or degraded pasture”. | Everist (1981) | ML |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | Erect , much branched shrub. Other. | P & C (1992) | L |
| Allelopathic properties? | None described. |  | L |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | “The objectionable odour deters grazing animals and the plant is rarely eaten”. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | “A rapid spreader which can quickly take over on arable land and seriously reduce production”. (Anon.) | Blood (n.d.) | MH |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Tolerant of water logging (occurs in permanent and seasonal streams). | Shearing & Van Heerdon (1994) | L |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | Reproducing by seed and from the crown. | P & C (1992) | H |
| Number of propagules produced? | Fruit contains up to 8 seeds. | P & C (1992) | M |
| Propagule longevity? | ? | | M |
| Reproductive period? | Form “very dense clumps”. (See P & C 1992 p. 521). Monocultures. | P & C (1992) | H |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | “Flowers are not produced until plants are at least 2 years old”. | P & C (1992) | ML |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Wind, water, contaminated agricultural produce, vehicles , > 200 m etc. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| How far do they disperse? | “Wind and water play important roles in dispersal because the bladder – like capsule containing seeds is light enough to be blown long distances and to float on water”. (P & C 1992). | P & C (1992) | MH |
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This page was last updated on 18/08/2020.