Invasiveness Assessment - Wild teasel (Dipsacus follonum) 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 Wild teasel.
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: Wild teasel
Scientific name: Dipsacus follonum
| Question | Comments | Reference | Rating |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | “Seedlings emerge after autumn rains or at other times following soil disturbance if moisture is adequate. | P & C (1992) | H |
| Establishment requirements? | Can establish under moderate canopy as occurs in ‘woods’. | Tutin et al (1976) | MH |
| How much disturbance is required? | Establishes in minor disturbed natural ecosystems, e.g. riparian vegetation wetlands. | Carr et al (1992) | MH |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | An erect biennial herb. “Other”. | P & C (1992) | L |
| Allelopathic properties? | None described. |  | L |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | Spines on leaves and stems discourage grazing by livestock. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | Competes with pasture plants. | P & C (1992) | MH |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | Tolerant of water logging, salinity (occurs in saline and subsaline wetlands), frost (occurs in UK), drought (occurs in Africa, California). | P & C (1992) Carr et al (1992) | MH |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | Reproducing by seed. | P & C (1992) | ML/L |
| Number of propagules produced? | About 800 seeds are produced in each head. At least 4 heads per plant therefore 800 x 4 = 3,200 seeds per plant. | P & C (1992) Robbins et al (1951) | H |
| Propagule longevity? | Seeds remain viable for at least 6 years. | P & C (1992) | ML |
| Reproductive period? | Form monocultures see picture P & C (1992) p. 414 | P & C (1992) | H |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | “Flowering stems are not produced until the 2nd or even later years. | P & C (1992) | ML |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | “Contaminants on agricultural produce machinery, vehicles, animals, etc.”. also water, wind and in hay silage, wool and industrial refuse. | P & C (1992) Anon | MH |
| How far do they disperse? | Most seeds fall in the vicinity of the parent plant. | P & C (1992) | L |
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