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Invasiveness Assessment - Cape ivy (mile a minute, climbing groundsel) (Senecio angulatus) 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 Cape ivy (mile a minute, climbing groundsel).

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 - 1 MB)
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: Cape ivy (mile a minute, climbing groundsel)
Scientific name: Senecio angulatus

Question
Comments
Rating
Confidence
Establishment
Germination requirements?Seeds don’t need any specific treatment other than sufficient light and moisture, seedlings however are rarely seen. Vegetative reproduction also doesn’t appear to have any restrictions (Blood 2001).
H
MH
Establishment requirements?Prefers bare ground for germination, however it is not reported to require it and it is tolerant of semi shade (Blood 2001).
MH
MH
How much disturbance is required?Establishes in minor disturbed natural ecosystems: sclerophyll forest and woodland: wetlands (Carr, Yugovic and Robinson 1992).
MH
MH
Growth/Competitive
Life form?Vine (Carr, Yugovic and Robinson 1992).
ML
MH
Allelopathic properties?No allelopathic properties described.
However the species does contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids and can smother the plant species it grows over (Muyt 2001; Porter & Geissman 1962).
M
L
Tolerates herb pressure?Contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that make it unsuitable forage for most fauna and if slashed to ground level, plants can regrow (Jessop & Toelken 1986; Porter & Geissman 1962; Weber 2003)
H
MH
Normal growth rate?Reported to be a fast growing vine (Weber 2003).
Therefore presumed to be at least competitive.
MH
MH
Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?Reported in saline wetlands, therefore tolerant of salinity and waterlogging (Blood 2001).
Drought tolerant (Blood 2001).
Has supposed fire retardant properties (Blood 2001).
Frost; Unknown.
H
MH
Reproduction
Reproductive systemProduces seed and can also reproduce vegetatively from stem fragments (Weber 2003).
H
MH
Number of propagules produced?Unknown however the similar species Delaria oderata can have an annual seed production of 40,000 (Muyt 2001).
M
L
Propagule longevity?Seeds are long lived (Blood 2001).
Not reported for just how long.
M
M
Reproductive period?Can smother other species and form thickets up to 20 m in diameter (Blood 2001; Muyt 2001). While it is not stated to form a self perpetuating monoculture it is believed one of these thickets would be very close to one.
H
M
Time to reproductive maturity?Fast growing, could produce vegetative propgules within the first season (Blood 2001).
H
MH
Dispersal
Number of mechanisms?The fruits as small (2-2.5 mm) hairy achenes and dispersed by wind (Weber 2003).
H
MH
How far do they disperse?Wind dispersed seed can travel distances of more than 1 km.
H
M


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