African spur-flower (Plectranthus ciliatus)

Present distribution

Scientific name:	Plectranthus ciliatus E. Mey.
Common name(s):	African spur-flower

Map showing the present distribution of this weed.

Habitat:

“Forest edges, roadsides, watercourses, disturbed sites. Prefers shady to semi-shady situations & well-drained soils… Tolerates frost” (ARC 2007). “Habitat shady areas in and around forest margins, plantations and hedges” (Roy et al 2004). “Grows in sandy soils, usually overlaying sandstone” (Conn 1992). Forest margins (Bond & Goldblatt 1984). “Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings… Sun to partial shade… Average water needs; do not over water” (Dave’s Garden, no date). “A rapidly spreading ground cover in the shade of trees” (Burnie et al 1998).

Potential distribution

Potential distribution produced from CLIMATE modelling refined by applying suitable landuse and vegetation type overlays with CMA boundaries

Map Overlays Used

Land Use:
Broadacre cropping; forestry; horticulture perennial; horticulture seasonal; pasture dryland; pasture irrigation

Ecological Vegetation Divisions
Grassy/heathy dry forest; swampy scrub; lowland forest; forby forest; damp forest; riparian; wet forest; rainforest; granitic hillslopes; rocky outcrop shrubland

Colours indicate possibility of Plectranthus ciliatus infesting these areas.

In the non-coloured areas the plant is unlikely to establish as the climate, soil or landuse is not presently suitable.

map of the potential distribution of plectranthus ciliatus

Red= Very high	Orange = Medium
Yellow = High	Green = Likely

Impact

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Social
1. Restrict human access?	“Soft, perennial straggling herb or subshrub to c. 60 cm high” (Conn 1992). “Forms thick dense mats [that are] smothering [and] can completely dominate roadsides” (ARC 2007). “Can form a dense understorey in bushland. (NSW, Vic)” (Richardson et al 2006). Could be a high nuisance value, may become too thick to walk through and vehicles may have trouble seeing what terrain they are about to drive over. - High nuisance value, People and/or vehicles access with difficulty.	MH	MH
2. Reduce tourism?	“Soft, perennial straggling herb or subshrub to c. 60 cm high” (Conn 1992). “Forms thick dense mats [that are] smothering [and] can completely dominate roadsides” (ARC 2007). “Can form a dense understorey in bushland. (NSW, Vic)” (Richardson et al 2006). - Some recreational uses may be affected.	MH	M
3. Injurious to people?	No mention of spines, prickles, toxic effects (ARC 2007; Shepherd 2004; Connor 1977; Cooper and Johnson 1984). - Not likely to be injurious to people.	L	M
4. Damage to cultural sites?	“Succulent, spreading, pleasantly aromatic [to] 60 cm high… Flowers (12-15 mm long) are white speckled with purple and in spike-like clusters” (Richardson et al 2006). - Moderate visual effect.	ML	M
Abiotic
5. Impact flow?	“Grows in sandy soils, usually overlaying sandstone” (Conn 1992). Forest margins (Bond & Goldblatt 1984). “Forest edges, roadsides, watercourses, disturbed sites. Prefers shady to semi-shady situations & well-drained soils” (ARC 2007). “Habitat shady areas in and around forest margins, plantations and hedges” (Roy et al 2004). Not known to grow in aquatic situations. - Little or negligible impact on water flow.	L	MH
6. Impact water quality?	“Grows in sandy soils, usually overlaying sandstone” (Conn 1992). Forest margins (Bond & Goldblatt 1984). “Forest edges, roadsides, watercourses, disturbed sites. Prefers shady to semi-shady situations & well-drained soils” (ARC 2007). “Habitat shady areas in and around forest margins, plantations and hedges” (Roy et al 2004). Not known to grow in aquatic situations. - No noticeable effect on dissolved O2 or light levels.	L	MH
7. Increase soil erosion?	“Grows in sandy soils, usually overlaying sandstone” (Conn 1992). “Spreads vegetatively by runners” (Roy et al 2004). As this grows in sandy locations and spreads via runners, it is likely to have a tendency to hold soil together. - Low probability of large scale soil movement.	L	ML
8. Reduce biomass?	No information.	M	L
9. Change fire regime?	No information.	M	L
Community Habitat
10. Impact on composition (a) high value EVC	EVC = Swamp Scrub (E); CMA =West Gippsland; Bioregion = Wilsons Promontory; VH CLIMATE potential. Minor displacement of some dominant or indicator spp. within any one strata/layer (e.g. ground cover, forbs, shrubs & trees).	ML	H
(b) medium value EVC	EVC = Herb-rich Foothill Forest (D); CMA =Port Phillip and Western Port; Bioregion = Central Victorian Uplands; VH CLIMATE potential. Major displacement of some dominant spp. within a strat/layer (or some dominant spp. within different layers).	MH	H
(c) low value EVC	EVC = Lowland Forest (LC); CMA = Glenelg Hopkins; Bioregion =Victorian Volcanic Plain; VH CLIMATE potential. Major displacement of some dominant spp. within a strat/layer (or some dominant spp. within different layers).	MH	H
11. Impact on structure?	“Forms thick dense mats smothering native seedlings & suppressing regeneration. Can completely dominate roadsides” (ARC 2007). “Can form a dense understorey in bushland. (NSW, Vic)” (Richardson et al 2006). - Major effect on < 60% of the floral strata as it can be dominant and form dense understorey.	MH	M
12. Effect on threatened flora?	“Forms thick dense mats smothering native [New Zealand] seedlings & suppressing regeneration. Can completely dominate roadsides” (ARC 2007). “Can form a dense understorey in bushland. (NSW, Vic)” (Richardson et al 2006). - Direct effect on VROT species unknown.	M	L
Fauna
13. Effect on threatened fauna?	Unknown if this plant species will co-exist in the same habitat as threatened fauna.	M	L
14. Effect on non-threatened fauna?	“Forms thick dense mats smothering native seedlings & suppressing regeneration. Can completely dominate roadsides” (ARC 2007). “Can form a dense understorey in bushland. (NSW, Vic)” (Richardson et al 2006). - Habitat could be changed dramatically, leading to the possible extinction of non-threatened species.	H	ML
15. Benefits fauna?	“Soft, perennial straggling herb or subshrub to c. 60 cm high” (Conn 1992). “Can form a dense understorey in bushland. (NSW, Vic)” (Richardson et al 2006). - No mention of providing food but may provide some assistance in shelter/cover for smaller animals.	MH	M
16. Injurious to fauna?	No mention of spines, prickles, toxic effects (ARC 2007; Shepherd 2004; Connor 1977; Cooper and Johnson 1984). - Not likely to be injurious to fauna.	L	M
Pest Animal
17. Food source to pests?	No information.	M	L
18. Provides harbour?	“Soft, perennial straggling herb or subshrub to c. 60 cm high” (Conn 1992). “Can form a dense understorey in bushland. (NSW, Vic)” (Richardson et al 2006). - May provide shelter as overnight cover for rabbits at least.	MH	M
Agriculture
19. Impact yield?	No information.	M	L
20. Impact quality?	No information.	M	L
21. Affect land value?	No information.	M	L
22. Change land use?	No information.	M	L
23. Increase harvest costs?	No information.	M	L
24. Disease host/vector?	No information.	M	L

Invasive

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Establishment
1. Germination requirements?	No information.	M	L
2. Establishment requirements?	“Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings… Sun to partial shade” (Dave’s Garden, no date). “Habitat shady areas in and around forest margins, plantations and hedges” (Roy et al 2004). “Prefers shady to semi-shady situations & well-drained soils” (ARC 2007). “A rapidly spreading ground cover in the shade of trees” (Burnie et al 1998). - Can establish without additional factors.	H	ML
3. How much disturbance is required?	“Forest edges, roadsides, watercourses, disturbed sites. Prefers shady to semi-shady situations & well-drained soils” (ARC 2007). “Habitat shady areas in and around forest margins, plantations and hedges” (Roy et al 2004). “Grows in sandy soils, usually overlaying sandstone” (Conn 1992). Forest margins (Bond & Goldblatt 1984). Can establish in relatively intact natural ecosystem of watercourse.	MH	M
Growth/Competitive
4. Life form?	“Spreads vegetatively by runners” (Roy et al 2004). - Geophyte.	ML	MH
5. Allelopathic properties?	Not listed as an allelopathic plant (Rice 1984). - None.	L	M
6. Tolerates herb pressure?	No information.	M	L
7. Normal growth rate?	“A rapidly spreading ground cover in the shade of trees” (Burnie et al 1998). “Forms thick dense mats smothering native seedlings & suppressing regeneration. Can completely dominate roadsides” (ARC 2007). - Indications are that this is a fast growing species that could exceed most other species of the same life form.	H	M
8. Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?	“Tolerates frost” (ARC 2007). - Not enough information.	M	L
Reproduction
9. Reproductive system	“Spreads vegetatively by runners” (Roy et al 2004). P. ciliatus was visited by numerous insects including Amegilla caelestina, Psilodera sp. A, Amegilla bothai and Rhingia sp. (Potgieter 1999). - Vegetatively reproductive and likely to be sexually reproductive also.	H	M
10. Number of propagules produced?	No information.	M	L
11. Propagule longevity?	No information.	M	L
12. Reproductive period?	No information.	M	L
13. Time to reproductive maturity?	No information.	M	L
Dispersal
14. Number of mechanisms?	No information.	M	L
15. How far do they disperse?	No information.	M	L

References

Auckland Regional Council (ARC) (2007) Plectranthus ciliatus. Available at: http://www.arc.govt.nz/plants/plantdetails.cfm?plantcode=Plecil (verified 23 February 2009).

Bond P and Goldblatt P. (1984) Plants of the Cape Flora: A Descriptive Catalogue. Journal of South African Botany, suppl. 13, 313.

Burnie G, Forrester S, Grieg D, Guest S, Harmony M, Hobley S, Hackson G, Lavarack P, Ledgett M, McDonald R, Macoboy S, Molyneux B, Moodie D, Moore J, Newman D, North T, Pienaar K, Purdy G, Silk J, Ryan S, Schien G (1997) Botanica Random House. Milsons Point, NSW.

Conn B.J in Harden GJ. (1992) Flora of New South Wales. Volume 3. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, UNSW Press. Also available at: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgibin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Plectranthus~ciliatus (verified 25 February 2009).

Dave’s Garden “For Gardeners… By Gardeners” (No date) Plectranthus. Available at: http://davesgarden.com/sitewidesearch.php?q=Plectranthus (verified 25 February 2009).

Potgieter CJ, Edwards TJ, Miller RM, Van Staden J (1999) Pollination of seven Plectranthus spp. (Lamiaceae) in southern Natal, South Africa. Plant Systems and Evolution. 218, 99-112.

Richardson FJ, Richardson RG and Shepherd RCH. (2006) Weeds of the South-east. An Identification Guide for Australia. RG & FJ Richardson. Meredith.

Roy B, Popay I, Champion P, James T, and Rahman A. (2004) An Illustrated Guide to Common Weeds of New Zealand. Second Edition. New Zealand Plant Protection Society.

Global present distribution data references

Australian National Herbarium (ANH) (2008) Australia’s Virtual Herbarium, Australian National Herbarium, Centre for Plant Diversity and Research, Available at http://www.anbg.gov.au/avh/ (verified 04 March 2009).

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2008) Global biodiversity information facility, Available at http://www.gbif.org/ (verified 04 March 2009).

Department of the Environment and Heritage (Commonwealth of Australia). (1993 – On-going) Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) http://www.cpbr.gov.au/apni/index.html (verified 07/05/2009).

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) 2006, Flora Information System. [CD-ROM], Biodiversity and Natural Resources Section, Viridans Pty Ltd, Bentleigh.

Integrated Taxonomic Information System. (2009) Available at http://www.itis.gov/ (verified 04 March 2009).

Missouri Botanical Gardens (MBG). w³TROPICOS, Missouri Botanical Gardens Database. (2007) Available at http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html (verified 04 March 2009).

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. (2003) Census of Vascular Plants of Victoria. Available at http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/research_and_conservation/plant_information/viclist (verified 04 March 2009).

United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. Taxonomy Query. (2009) Available at http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxgenform.pl (verified 04 March 2009).

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