Invasiveness Assessment - False capers (Euphorbia terracina) 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 False capers.
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)
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Common Name: False capers
Scientific name: Euphorbia terracina
| Question | Comments | Rating | Confidence |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | Parsons & Cuthbertson (2001) state that “seeds germinate in late summer and autumn,” however, Dixon (2000) has observed germination occurring at any time of the year in damp land areas. Can germinate any time that water is available. | H | MH |
| Establishment requirements? | Can adapt to, and does well in shade and high light (Brigham, 2004), however, no information was found about seedlings specifically. | M | L |
| How much disturbance is required? | “Entry into bushland seems to be via disturbance by grazing or fire, however, once established within a bushland area…can aggressively expand into natural bushland [and is able to] invade relatively undisturbed coastal heath” (Keighery & Keighery, 2000). Potential to invade healthy bushland (Randall & Brooks, 2000). Has invaded coast scrub areas “that do not appear to be disturbed” (DiTomaso, 2005). Establishes in relatively intact ecosystems. | MH | MH |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | Shrub-like herb (Randall & Brooks, 2000). | L | MH |
| Allelopathic properties? | Whilst similar to leafy spurge, which does appear to have allelopathic properties (DiTomaso, 2005), no evidence was found for allelopathy in this species, however, there is not a lot of information about the biology of this plant. | M | L |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | Grazing was used to aid control of seedlings in South Australia (O’Neil, 1959), however it is “unpalatable and stock do not usually eat older plants” (Orchard & O’Neil, 1957). The “toxic sap [also] deters native herbivores, like kangaroos” (Keighery & Keighery, 2000). Consumed but not preferred. | MH | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | Rapid (Randall & Brooks, 2000). | H | MH |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Likely killed by fire (Randall & Brooks, 2000). Observed “growing on sandy rises in low rainfall country” (O’Neil, 1959); toxic qualities increase during drought (Orchard & O’Neil, 1957); grows on sand dunes; from sea level to 100 ft (Meikle, 1985). Found in ephemeral wetlands (Keighery & Keighery, 2000); swamps (WAH, 2006) and saltmarsh (DiTomaso, 2005). Likely to be highly tolerant of salinity, waterlogging and of drought. Not tolerant of fire. Tolerance of frost unknown. | MH | MH |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | Does not spread vegetatively, seeds only (Randall & Brooks, 2000); spread by seed (Parsons & Cuthbertson, 2001). “Outbreeding but capable of self-pollination” (Keighery & Keighery, 2000). Sexual reproduction- self and cross fertile. | ML | MH |
| Number of propagules produced? | Prolific (Randall & Brooks, 2000). No further information found. | M | L |
| Propagule longevity? | 3-5 years (Randall & Brooks, 2000). | L | MH |
| Reproductive period? | Short-lived (DKeighery & Keighery, 2000) biennial or perennial (Reed, 1977) that forms dense monocultures (Brigham, 2005). | H | MH |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | Seedlings emerge in winter and flower in spring (Randall & Brooks, 2000); seeds germinate in late summer and autumn, grow during winter, and commence flowering in spring (Parsons & Cuthbertson, 2001), producing seed in less than one year. | H | MH |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Explosive fruit burst distributes seed several metres, water and animals can also transport seed (Randall & Brooks, 2000; Parsons & Cuthbertson, 2001). Possibly dispersed by birds in Australia (Keighery & Keighery, 2000). Feral doves have been observed eating the seed (Betts, 2000), however, a wild dove study recovered 1 non-viable (Euphorbia esula) seed from faeces and in a feeding trial, seed viability was reduced to 2-25% (from a normal viability of 89-97%) (Wald et al, 2005). | MH | MH |
| How far do they disperse? | Most propagules are distributed several metres (Randall & Brooks, 2000), however this species is found in riparian areas (DiTomaso, 2005), so transport in water might take some seed several kilometers. | ML | MH |
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