Invasiveness Assessment - Prairie ground cherry (Physalia viscosa) 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 Prairie ground cherry.
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: Prairie ground cherry
Scientific name: Physalia viscosa
| Question | Comments | Reference | Rating |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | Seeds germinate in spring. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Establishment requirements? | A summer growing plant of open grazing land. Withstands shading. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| How much disturbance is required? | A summer growing plant of open grazing land. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | The aerial growth dies in autumn without flowering but roots remain alive producing new shoots in the following spring therefore Geophyte. | P & C (1992) | ML |
| Allelopathic properties? | No allelopathic properties described. |  | L |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | Rarely eaten by stock. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | Competition is effective (for control) if vigorous summer growing species can be established. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Withstands drought, but does not persist under constant irrigation. | P & C (1992) | ML |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | Reproducing from creeping roots and by seed. | P & C (1992) | H |
| Number of propagules produced? | Estimate: 15 berries per plant x 20 seeds per berry = 300 seeds per plant. | P & C (1992) Faithfull (1997) | ML |
| Propagule longevity? | ? | | M |
| Reproductive period? | Perennial herb. Flowers and fruit are produced in summer and the cycle is repeated annually. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | Seeds germinate in spring aerial growth dies in autumn without flowering flowers and fruit are then produced in summer and the cycle is repeated annually. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Cultivation, wind and water: animals – birds, foxes and stock eat the fruit, and it seems that germination is enhanced after seeds pass through animals. | P & C (1992) | H |
| How far do they disperse? | The frequent occurrence of prairie ground cherry along railway lines is probably due to birds and animal droppings falling from railway trucks. | P & C (1992) | H |
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