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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? | Seeds germinate in autumn. | P & C (1992) | MH |
Establishment requirements? | Can tolerate shade (moderate canopy) cover. | P & C (1992) | MH |
How much disturbance is required? | “Establishes in virtually indisturbed bushland”. | P & C (1992) | H |
Growth/Competitive | |||
Life form? | Erect shrub. Other. | P & C (1992) | L |
Allelopathic properties? | None described. | L | |
Tolerates herb pressure? | “Unpalatable and rarely eaten”. | P & C (1992) | MH |
Normal growth rate? | Whole hillsides may be covered to the exclusion of most other vegetation. Competes strongly with native species. | P & C (1992) | H |
Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Tolerant of frost, (occurs in Mansfield, Blue Mountains- Australia: Britain, etc), water logging? (occurs in riparian vegetation). | P & C (1992) Clapham et al (1952) Carr et al (1992) | ML |
Reproduction | |||
Reproductive system | Reproducing by seed. | P & C (1992) | ML |
Number of propagules produced? | Produce “large numbers “ of seeds. > 20 fruits per plant x 100 seeds - > 2,000 seeds per plant. | P & C (1992) | H |
Propagule longevity? | ? | M | |
Reproductive period? | Forms dense monocultures (see P & C 1992 p. 386). “Widespread, medium to large populations”. | P & C (1992) Carr et al (1992) | H |
Time to reproductive maturity? | “Plants do not flower until they are 18 months or two years old”. | P & C (1992) | MH |
Dispersal | |||
Number of mechanisms? | Small seeds readily contaminate agricultural produce, vehicles, machinery, animals, water and mud. Also bird dispersed. | P & C (1992) | H |
How far do they disperse? | Bird dispersed. | H |