Invasiveness Assessment - Apple of Sodom (Solanum linnaeanum) 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 Apple of Sodom.
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: Apple of Sodom
Scientific name: Solanum linnaeanum
| Question | Comments | Reference | Rating |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | Seeds germinate in spring. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Establishment requirements? | Established in mostly ‘open’ habitats, e.g. pasture and open vegetation formatios. | P & C (1992) Webb et al (1988) | ML |
| How much disturbance is required? | Establishes in minor disturbed natural ecosystems, e.g. coastal vegetation; grassland/grassy woodland and rock outcrop vegetation. Appears in some National Park’s (P & C 1992). | Carr et al (1992) | MH |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | Erect spreading shrub. Other. | P & C (1992) | L |
| Allelopathic properties? | None described. |  | L |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | “Foliage is not eaten by stock because of its prickly nature”. | P & C (1992) | H |
| Normal growth rate? | Can form dense patches which crowd out other vegetation. “Competes strongly with native species and poorer pastures”. (P & C 1992). | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Tolerant of drought (occurs in central WA), some salinity (occurs in coastal areas). | P & C (1992) | ML |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | Reproducing by seed. | P & C (1992) | ML |
| Number of propagules produced? | Fruit a berry: numerous seeds in each fruit berries per plant x 50 seeds per berry = 1,500 seeds per plant. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Propagule longevity? | ? | | M |
| Reproductive period? | Can form “dense patches which crowd out other vegetation” monocultures. | P & C (1992) Webb et al (1988) | H |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | “Plants generally not flowering until at least 2 years old”. | P & C (1992) | ML |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Fruit eventually drops off bush and is blown or dragged away. - spread by gravity. | P & C (1992) | L |
| How far do they disperse? | | | L |
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