Invasiveness Assessment - Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana) 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 Cabomba.
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: Cabomba
Scientific name: Cabomba caroliniana
| Question | Comments | Rating | Confidence |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | Requires direct sunlight to grow’ (ISSG 2005). ‘Factors believed to be important in affecting germination are red light, temperature and high carbon dioxide levels (Sanders 1976 cited in Mackey & Swarbrick 1998). Score as medium as insufficient evidence to determine specific germination requirements. | M | M |
| Establishment requirements? | ‘Grows well in eutrophic conditions with low pH but conditions above pH 8 tend to defoliate the stems’ (ISSG 2005). Requires direct sunlight to grow. Requires more specific conditions to establish. | ML | MH |
| How much disturbance is required? | ‘.. grows in the mud of stagnant to slow flowing water, including streams, and smaller rivers, and also ponds, lakes, reservoirs, sloughs, ditches, and canals’ (ISSG 2005). Can establish in relatively intact natural ecosystems. | MH | MH |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | Fully submerged aquatic plant (ISSG 2005). | H | MH |
| Allelopathic properties? | ‘Extracts of cabomba have allelopathic effects at medium and high concentrations’ (Mackey & Swarbrick 1998). Allelopathic properties seriously affecting some plants. | MH | MH |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | ‘In its native habitat, C. caroliniana is eaten by waterfowl and some fish’ (ISSG 2005). Consumed but capable of reproduction. | MH | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | Is a ‘fast-growing’ plant. Stated to be extremely competitive but can be out competed by such weeds as Egeria densa (Mackey & Swarbrick 1998). Moderately rapid growth that will equal competitive species of same life form. | MH | MH |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | ‘Can survive temperatures of less than 0 degrees (ISSG 2005). Stated to be a threat to freshwater plants and habitats only (Mackey & Swarbrick 1998). Aquatic plant – not drought tolerant. Tolerant to at least 2 and susceptible to at least 2. | ML | MH |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | Grows and sprouts mainly from fragmentation. Can reproduce by seed but seeds have not been recorded from Australian plants (Mackey & Swarbrick 1998). | H | MH |
| Number of propagules produced? | Seeds have not been recorded from Australian plants (Mackey & Swarbrick 1998). Mainly vegetatively reproduces. Score medium. | M | MH |
| Propagule longevity? | ‘In Louisiana seed is produced but viability is low and only about 25% of seeds germinate naturally’. Seeds can remain viable for more than two years (Mackey & Swarbrick 1998). | L | MH |
| Reproductive period? | ‘Can form dense stands’ (ISSG 2005). | H | MH |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | Reaches maturity and produces viable propagules in under one year (Mackey and Swarbrick 1998). | H | MH |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Ørgaard (1991 cited in Mackey & Swarbrick 1998), suggested that like most water plants, seed dispersal is due to birds. Also spread through motorboats. | H | MH |
| How far do they disperse? | Ørgaard (1991 cited in Mackey & Swarbrick 1998), suggested that like most water plants, seed dispersal is due to birds. Also water dispersed. Very likely that some propagules will disperse greater than 1 km. | H | MH |
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