Invasiveness Assessment - Green cestrum (Cestrum parqui) 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 Green cestrum.
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: Green cestrum
Scientific name: Cestrum parqui
| Question | Comments | Reference | Rating |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | Seeds germinate in autumn. | P&C (1992) | MH |
| Establishment requirements? | Can establish under moderate canopy → occurs under trees in scrubby paddocks & along shady creek banks. | McKenzie et al (1988) | MH |
| How much disturbance is required? | Establishes mostly in highly disturbed natural ecosystems e.g. roadsides, suburban allotments, paddocks, fence lines etc. | McKenzie et al (1988) | ML |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | Erect shrub → ‘other’. | P&C (1992) | L |
| Allelopathic properties? | None described. |  | L |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | Cattle graze C. Parqui only after the more palatable species have been depleted. | Orguin et al (1982) | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | Grows well on alluvial river flats often to the exclusion of most other vegetation. | P&C (1992) | H |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Frost hardy, occurs in arid areas of South America, perhaps also waterlogging (occurs along creek banks & high rainfall gullies). | P&C (1992) McNiven (1993) Champion (1995) | MH |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | Reproducing from creeping roots & by seed. | P&C (1992) | H |
| Number of propagules produced? | >2,000 assumed due to producing abundant berries containing seeds. | Lavers (1953) | H? |
| Propagule longevity? | Seeds remain dormant in the soil for many years. | P&C (1992) | M |
| Reproductive period? | Plants are ling-lived. | P&C (1992) | MH? |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | Plants are at least 2 years old before flowering. | P&C (1992) | ML |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Birds, water, pieces of root dragged by cultivation equipment. | P&C (1992) | H |
| How far do they disperse? | | | H |
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