MONADENIA or AFRICAN WEED ORCHID

(Disa bracteata)

(Photos: http://www.friendsofqueensparkbushland.org.au/monadenia-bracteata/,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disa_bracteata)

We normally are really happy to spot orchids, but the African weed orchid is not one in that category… ask some of the locals about the spread of these on their properties! The plant invades bushland where other native orchids would usually grow. It is a perennial, with the bits above ground growing annually from tubers which are renewed every year. This means there are often two tubers per plant, and both should be removed when weeding. The green leaves form a rosette, like some native orchids and lilies. The flower spike grows up to 75 cm tall, and appears late spring. When young, it looks something like an asparagus spear, although it is more brown than green. Prolific seed bearers (up to 2.5 million per plant per year!), they spread by seed being carried on the wind, in fur, etc.  

See this very good fact sheet from Trees for Life for more details on control: http://www.treesforlife.org.au/sites/www.treesforlife.org.au/files/Monadenia_African%20Weed%20Orchid_Weed%20Profile.pdf

Apple of sodom (Solanum linnaeanum)

WEED OF THE MONTH April_web

African Boxthorn

Lycium ferocissimum

(Boxthorn tree on anthill at Cape Jervis; close-up of berry, leaf and thorn. Photos E. Cousins)

This is a ‘weed of national significance’… meaning it is not just a problem in Cape Jervis, but across the country! Reason: it is persistence personified! A stiff shrub growing over head high, it has many branches, with leaves and sharp spikes clustered along the stems.how to repost on instagram android The red berries of the boxthorn are eaten by birds and foxes; viable seeds are then excreted, and often left in the same area, leading to yet more bushes. The shrub’s spikes, growth habit, and efficient spreading of seed, mean boxthorn can grow into an impenetrable thicket, providing a haven for feral animals such as foxes and rabbits, while crowding out native plants.

Boxthorn belongs to the Solanacae family, as do tomatoes and tobacco.

To download a copy of the flyer – WEED OF THE MONTH March_boxthorn

Olive

Olea europaea

Olive oil, olives on pizza, olive tapenade, olives just to nibble on…many of us love these Mediterranean fruits and their by-products. It’s just a pity that what has been good commercially has become such a menace in our dry woodlands and adjacent, cleared land. Olive trees are long-lived, growing to 10m tall. Small white flowers in spring are followed by the fleshy seeds which darken from green to black over summer. Birds and foxes eat the fruit, spreading the seeds widely. Our dry summers, and the fact that olives grow well in most soil types, mean these seeds germinate prolifically. Tiny seedlings can be pulled by hand, but once the seedlings mature, the trees are hard to kill: just chopping them down is not sufficient, since they reshoot easily. You’ll see olives on the reserve off Fleurieu Ave, and along the coastline to Fishery’s Beach.

See the following NRM website for a fact sheet and a You Tube video on control of these pests: http://www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/Publicationsandresources/Factsheetspublications/Pestplants.aspx

To download a copy of this flyer – WEED OF THE MONTH February_olive

To download a pdf copy of this file, click here.

Cyclops (Acacia cyclops)

Why cyclops? In ripe seed pods, each shiny black seed is surrounded by a ring of red, like a blood-shot eye. Cyclops was a mythical Greek giant who only had one eye. The old seed pods are really twisted…one way to identify this plant. The open pods often hang on the tree for years. The flowers are round, unlike those on Acacia longifolia ssp. sophorae, which can look similar if you only look at the leaves.

Cyclops thrives on limestone and sandy soils, and is very hardy even when exposed to salty winds. It survives these harsh conditions by growing in a dome shape, with dense foliage that often reaches to the ground. This allows soil to build up at the base, providing the plant with stability. Native to W.A., this plant is now a weed in S.A. due to its high rate of survival and its large dense spread allowing it to crowd out local plants.

Exterminate, Exterminate! This can be done by chopping at ground level – no poisoning required. Along with olive, it is a major target of our efforts at Cape Jervis.

http://www.australianseed.com/index.php/cName/australian-native-acacia/osCsid=01c0550ab08ac6df3e83487ff03b16ca; http://geographelandcarenursery.mysouthwest.com.au/Nursery%20List/Acacia%20cyclops)

Cape Jervis Coastal Community Group – Working weekend

Come for part or all of any of the weekend’s activities 1^st & 2^nd Dec 2012.

Saturday 1^st Dec

10.00 AM – 12.30 PM

Removing tree guards for re-use (by CJCCG and Friends of Heysen Trail greening group) near Lands End (trig point)

12.30 PM – 2.00 PM

BBQ Lunch (provided)

2.00 PM – 4.00 PM

Woody weed lopping (cyclops) and seed collecting

Sunday 2^nd Dec

10.00 AM – 12.00 Noon

Seed Sowing

Please contact Carolyn (carolyn.schultz165@gmail.com) or Liz (liz.cousins1@gmail.com) for directions.

Perennial Veldt Grass (Ehrharta calycina)

This grass was encouraged to emigrate from South Africa for use as a fodder crop. Unfortunately, it likes our shores so much that it is now invading local ecosystems, presenting a major threat to our local native plants.

It’s a hardy blighter: it likes the poor, sandy soils around Cape Jervis, is resistant to drought, and its seed will germinate in most conditions. The massive amounts of seed each plant produces germinate quickly compared to native species, so it doesn’t give the natives much of a fighting chance! You can fight back against this bad guy by using herbicide in winter, or by manually removing plants in summer.

Photo Source: (http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/347; 22-8-12)