Invasiveness Assessment - Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) 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 Madeira vine.

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: Madeira vine
Scientific name: Anredera cordifolia

Question	Comments	Rating	Confidence
Establishment
Germination requirements?	‘[Seeds] appear to germinate from only a few millimetres deep, and have only been found in well lit areas’ (Swarbrick 1999). Prefers warm, damp or seasonally moist locations (Muyt 2001). ‘Mature aerial tubers drop off the plant and either sprout into tuberlings immediately ..’ (Helensburgh and District Landcare n.d.). Opportunistic germinator.	H	MH
Establishment requirements?	‘Regrowth from vegetative propagules is faster [and more common] than the growth of seedlings, and can occur in dense shade under existing infestations of Madeira vine.’ Shade-tolerant vine (Swarbrick 1999). Although prefers sun, can establish under moderate canopy.	MH	MH
How much disturbance is required?	Found in ‘dry coastal vegetation, damp sclerophyll forest, riparian and outcrop vegetation, cliff faces, rail embankments, rainforest edges, tall open forest, gardens and waste places’ (Blood 2002). Thrives in moist sunny sites such as riverbanks and gully edges (Eurobodalla Shire Council 2003). Can establish in minor disturbed natural ecosystems.	MH	MH
Growth/Competitive
Life form?	Succulent climbing vine (ISSG 200).	ML	MH
Allelopathic properties?	None described.	L	MH
Tolerates herb pressure?	Not known to be eaten by animals or insects. No known biocontrol agents in Australia or New Zealand. Has even be ‘suspected of poisoning livestock’ (Blood 2002).	H	MH
Normal growth rate?	‘Can grow rapidly to 10 m in one growing season’ (Blood 2002). ‘Aggressive vegetative growth which competes with and replaces other vegetation’. Growth can ‘exceed 1 m per week and up to 6 m in a growing season’. (ISSG 2005). Although will out compete other species, appears that has moderately rapid growth rate that will equal competitive species of same life form	MH	MH
Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?	‘Tolerates dry conditions, snow and frost (will die back to tuber and reshoot), salt, sand and frontal dunes.’ ‘Very drought-resistant’ (Blood 2002). Highly tolerant to at least 2 (drought, salinity) and tolerant of another (frost). Susceptible to at least 1 (not described but no reference made to fire or waterlogging tolerance).	MH	MH
Reproduction
Reproductive system	Vegetative – from dormant buds on tubers or sections of rhizome in the soil. Through ‘rhizome, stem tubers, stem fragments and leaves, rarely seeds’ (Swarbrick 1999). ‘The production of seedlings by this serious environmental weed has not previously been recorded in Australia, and may help to explain its dispersal to new sites and areas’ (Blood 2002). Has both male and female flowers but rarely produces sexually – although it can (ISSG 2005).	H	MH
Number of propagules produced?	‘Reproduces prolifically from the production of multitudes of aerial tubers’. ‘Thousands of small aerial tubers develop along stems and can remain viable on vines or on the ground for five to ten years’ (Wilsons Creek Huonbrook Landcare 2003). ‘There may be up to 1,500 fallen aerial tubers per square metre’ (Muyt 2001)	MH	MH
Propagule longevity?	‘Thousands of small aerial tubers develop along stems and can remain viable on vines or on the ground for five to ten years’ (Muyt 2001).	L	MH
Reproductive period?	‘Thousands of small aerial tubers develop along stems and can remain viable on vines or on the ground for five to ten years’ (Muyt 2001). Mature plant produces viable propagules for 10 years or more.	H	MH
Time to reproductive maturity?	‘Growth commences during spring .. can grow rapidly up to 10 m in one growing season’ (Blood 2002). ‘Aerial tubers develop in large numbers along the stems, break off readily and shoot once they touch soil’ (Sutherland Shire Council 2003). No documented evidence regarding time to reach reproductive maturity.	M	MH
Dispersal
Number of mechanisms?	The seeds ‘may be dispersed by birds … although the majority probably fall to the ground .. and are dispersed by the movement of soil and water’ (Swarbrick 1999). ‘Spread by contaminated and eroding soil, machinery, road clearing and water’ (Blood 2002)	H	MH
How far do they disperse?	‘Seedlings have been found well away from infestations of parent plants .. likely to have been through the gut of a bird ..’ (Swarbrick 1999).	H	MH

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