Chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata)

Present distribution

Scientific name:	Houttuynia cordata Thunb.
Common name(s):	Chameleon plant

This weed is not known to be naturalised in Victoria

Habitat:

Native to shrubberies and damp places in the Himalayas and a weed of cultivated land and wet fields (PFAF 2006 and Polunin & Stainton 1984). Is less aggressive in dry environments, has however grow successfully in semi aquatic areas and under pine trees (Dave’s Garden 2006).

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:
Pasture dryland; pasture irrigated

Broad vegetation types
Coastal grassy woodland; swamp scrub; inland slopes woodland; sedge rich woodland; moist foothills forest; montane moist forest; sub-alpine woodland; plains grassy woodland; herb-rich woodland; sub-alpine grassy woodland; montane grassy woodland; riverine grassy woodland; riparian forest; and a riparian buffer zone of 10m for rivers and 5m for creeks.

Colours indicate possibility of Houttuynia cordata 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 showing the potential distribution of the chameleon plant

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

Impact

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Social
1. Restrict human access?	Low growing herb (PFAF 2006). Therefore pose little impediment on access by individuals or machinery.	l	m
2. Reduce tourism?	An ornamental species with a strong odour, may alter the aesthetics (Dave’s Garden 2006).	ml	ml
3. Injurious to people?	Used in traditional Asian medicine and cooking (PFAF 2006). Has however because of its strong odour been blamed as a cause of migraines (Dave’s Garden 2006).	ml	ml
4. Damage to cultural sites?	An ornamental species with a strong odour, may alter the aesthetics (Dave’s Garden 2006). Root system is invasive may cause damage	m	l
Abiotic
5. Impact flow?	Not reported in flowing water.	l	m
6. Impact water quality?	Unknown.	m	l
7. Increase soil erosion?	Ground cover species with aggressive rhizomatous root system (PFAF 2006). Winter frosts can damage the plant causing die back, potentially leaving the soil surface exposed (PFAF 2006).	ml	m
8. Reduce biomass?	Reported to smother other ornamental species in a garden situation (Dave’s Garden 2006). May therefore reduce biomass in the lower stratum slightly	mh	ml
9. Change fire regime?	Unknown relationship with fire, prefers moist environments (PFAF 2006).	l	m
Community Habitat
10. Impact on composition (a) high value EVC	EVC= Creekline Grassy Woodland (E); CMA= Wimmera; Bioreg= Greater Grampians; M CLIMATE potential. Can smother other plants in a garden environment (Dave’s Garden 2006). May cause major displacement of species in the lower stratum	m	ml
(b) medium value EVC	EVC= Riparian Forest (D); CMA= Wimmera; Bioreg= Greater Grampians; M CLIMATE potential. Can smother other plants in a garden environment (Dave’s Garden 2006). May cause major displacement of species in the lower stratum	m	ml
(c) low value EVC	EVC= Alluvial Terraces Herb-rich Woodland (LC); CMA= Wimmera; Bioreg= Greater Grampians; M CLIMATE potential. Can smother other plants in a garden environment (Dave’s Garden 2006). May cause major displacement of species in the lower stratum	m	ml
11. Impact on structure?	Can smother other plants in a garden environment (Dave’s Garden 2006). May cause major displacement of species in the lower stratum	mh	ml
12. Effect on threatened flora?	Can smother other plants in a garden environment (Dave’s Garden 2006). No evidence reported of impact on threatened species	mh	l
Fauna
13. Effect on threatened fauna?	Unknown	m	l
14. Effect on non-threatened fauna?	Unknown, may be avoided due to its strong smell, has been reported to be avoided by rabbits (PFAF 2006). Therefore may limit food sources.	ml	m
15. Benefits fauna?	Unknown	m	l
16. Injurious to fauna?	Not reported toxic, doesn’t have prickles (PFAF 2006).	l	m
Pest Animal
17. Food source to pests?	Reported as avoided by rabbits (PFAF 2006).	l	m
18. Provides harbour?	Low growing species (PFAF 2006).	l	m
Agriculture
19. Impact yield?	If avoided by stock due to smell, may therefore reduce effective production area.	m	l
20. Impact quality?	No evidence of this reported	l	m
21. Affect land value?	An aggressive plant that is hard to control and eradicate, in the garden, if more widely known may impact on house values (Dave’s Garden 2006).	m	ml
22. Change land use?	Unknown	m	l
23. Increase harvest costs?	No evidence of this reported.	l	m
24. Disease host/vector?	No evidence of this reported.	l	m

Invasive

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Establishment
1. Germination requirements?	Propagation is recommended to be done in a glasshouse, with the seedlings to then be planted out in summer (PFAF 2006). Reported also to regrow from rhizomes in spring if damaged by winter frosts (Dave’s Garden 2006). Therefore there is a link to spring being the start of the growing season and the most likely time for germination	mh	ml
2. Establishment requirements?	Can spread under the shade of pine trees (Dave’s Garden 2006).	mh	ml
3. How much disturbance is required?	Reported mostly in garden environments (Dave’s Garden 2006). The plants disturbance requirements are unknown in the natural environment.	m	l
Growth/Competitive
4. Life form?	A rhizomatous herb (Geophyte) (Carlquist, Dauer & Nishimura 1995).	ml	mh
5. Allelopathic properties?	A dried powder made from the leaves of this species has been used as a herbicide and prevented the germination of lettuce (Lin et al 2006).	mh	mh
6. Tolerates herb pressure?	Avoided by rabbits (PFAF 2006). Can recover from the rhizome if above ground biomass is damaged by frost (Dave’s Garden 2006). Therefore should be able to recover after light grazing, Has a strong odour of either citrus or fish (Dave’s Garden 2006). May therefore be avoided	mh	m
7. Normal growth rate?	Reported as fast growing, especially in moist environments (PFAF 2006).	mh	m
8. Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?	Can regrow after frost damage (Dave’s Garden 2006). Recommended for use in bog gardens (Tolerant of waterlogging) (Dave’s Garden 2006). Less aggressive in dry environments (possible susceptible to drought) (Dave’s Garden 2006). Unknown tolerance to fire or salinity.	ml	ml
Reproduction
9. Reproductive system	Produces seed and can spread vegetatively (Polunin & Stainton 1984).	h	mh
10. Number of propagules produced?	Unknown	m	l
11. Propagule longevity?	Unknown	m	l
12. Reproductive period?	Can form a monoculture (Dave’s Garden 2006).	h	ml
13. Time to reproductive maturity?	Able to spread vegetatively within first growing season (Dave’s Garden 2006).	h	ml
Dispersal
14. Number of mechanisms?	Natural dispersal unknown, reported mostly due to ornamental cultivation.	m	l
15. How far do they disperse?	Unknown.	m	l

References

Carlquist S., Dauer K. & Nishimura S.Y. (1995) Wood and stem anatomy of Saururaceae with reference to ecology, phylogeny, and origin of the monocotyledons. IAWA Journal. 16: 133-150

Dave’s Garden: Dave’s Garden “For Gardeners… By Gardeners”. viewed 12 Dec 2006, http://davesgarden.com/

Lin D., Sugitomo Y., Dong Y., Terao H. & Matsuo M. (2006) Natural herbicidal potential of sauruacceae (Houttuynia cordata Thunb) dried powders on paddy weeds in transplanted rice. Crop Protection. 25: 126-129

PFAF: Plants for a Future. Edible, medicinal and useful plants for a healthier world. viewed 12 Dec 2006, http://pfaf.org/

Polunin O. & Stainton A. (1984) Flowers of the Himalaya. Oxford University Press, New Delhi

Global present distribution data references

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) 2006, Global biodiversity information facility: Prototype data portal, viewed 27 Sep 2006, http://www.gbif.org/

Missouri Botanical Gardens (MBG) 2006, w3TROPICOS, Missouri Botanical Gardens Database, viewed 27 Sep 2006, http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html

USDA 2006: United States Department of Agriculture, PLANTS Profile, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plants Database, viewed 19 Dec 2006 http://plants.usda.gov/

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