Invasiveness Assessment - Pond apple (Annona glabra) 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 Pond apple.
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: Pond apple
Scientific name: Annona glabra
| Question | Comments | Rating | Confidence |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | Germination can occur throughout the year, though germination rates are highest after periods of rainfall (ARMCANZ 2000). | H | MH |
| Establishment requirements? | “Seedlings require moist to wet, generally well lit conditions.” Low light levels restrict seedling growth as does waterlogging. Requires access to light and moisture, but does not tolerate inundation (ARMCANZ 2000). | MH | MH |
| How much disturbance is required? | “Disturbance can play an important part in encouraging infestations of pond apple.” Canopy openings due to severe storms can stimulate germination and seedling growth. Unlikely to establish under deep rainforest canopy; favours estuaries and floodplains where plenty of light and moisture occur (ARMCANZ 2000). | ML | MH |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | Small semi-deciduous tree to 6 metres (15 under optimal conditions) (ARMCANZ 2000). Other lifeform. | L | MH |
| Allelopathic properties? | None described in ARMCANZ (2000). | L | MH |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | The plant is not documented as eaten by fauna or domesticated stock. Animals such as pigs and birds eat the fruit (ARMCANZ 2000). No herbivory pressure | H | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | ‘Seedlings grow rapidly to form dense stands that shade out native grasses and sedges’( NRM 2001). Moderately rapid growth equal to similar competitive spp. | MH | M |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Commonly found in estuarine situations - salt tolerant. Will withstand seasonal or tidal inundation, but not permanent waterlogging (e.g. wetlands, mangroves). Larger trees tolerate low intensity fires and, “[d]ense stands of pond apple lack sufficient fuel loads to sustain a fire.” (WTMT 2004). It has a high requirement for soil moisture, which limits its occurrence away from water sources. Unlikely to tolerate drought. Tolerant to salt and temporary inundation; tolerates low intensity fire. | MH | MH |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | Sexual reproduction; cross-pollination only (possibly by beetles)(ARMCANZ 2000). | L | MH |
| Number of propagules produced? | Each fruit contains ~ 140 seeds; number of fruit produced not documented. However, it is estimated that seed banks of, “several thousand seeds m-2/year,” are common (ARMCANZ 2000). Assume 1,000 – 2,000 seeds per plant. | MH | MH |
| Propagule longevity? | Not known. | M | MH |
| Reproductive period? | Not documented. Plants reach reproductive maturity after two years and typically grow to 6 metres in height (WTMT 2004). Assume plants to live at least 3 to 10 years. | MH | MH |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | Plants reach reproductive maturity after 2 years (WTMT 2004). | ML | MH |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Propagules spread by water, humans and native and feral animals. “Water is the main dispersal agent for both pond apple fruit and seed. Spread of seed by animals vectors is very minor compared to its dispersal by water (WTMT 2004). | MH | MH |
| How far do they disperse? | Under tidal influence, seed can be spread both up and downstream within a river. However, the major movement of seed is due to floodwater. It is also noted that ocean currents play a role in seed dispersal along the coast (WTMT 2004). Under these conditions seeds will be spread more than 1 kilometre. | H | MH |
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