Tuart and Weed GuideTuart and Weed Guide

Tuart Survey TrainingTuart Survey Training

Friends of Trigg Bushland IncFriends of Trigg Bushland Incwww.triggbushland.org.au

What is a tuart?What is a tuart?

You are likely to see mostly tuart You are likely to see mostly tuart trees.trees.

The only other trees you are likely to The only other trees you are likely to see are marri, although there are see are marri, although there are occasional jarrah trees.occasional jarrah trees.

This handout will be available

for use during tuart mapping.

Tuart trees have long, narrow leaves if mature and short leaves if juvenile. The underside is nearly the same colour as the top. Fruit may be hard to see in the canopy, but will be small. The trunk of mature trees is usually grey.

Marri trees have large, obvious fruit (honky nuts) that are usually visible in the canopy. The leaves often have reddish stems, and the underside of the leaf is usually lighter than the top of the leaf.

Some Weeds of Trigg BushlandSome Weeds of Trigg Bushland

Weeds appear different depending on time Weeds appear different depending on time of yearof year

Photos and text from Western Weeds, A Photos and text from Western Weeds, A Guide to the Weeds of Western Australia, Guide to the Weeds of Western Australia, by Hussey, Keighery, Cousens, Dodd & by Hussey, Keighery, Cousens, Dodd & Lloyd (1997) Lloyd (1997) http://http://members.iinet.net.au/~weeds/index.htmmembers.iinet.net.au/~weeds/index.htm

Weeds to identify:

•Pelargonium

•Carnation Weed

•Bridal creeper

•Freesia

•Fumitory

•Onion Weed

•Oxalis

•Veldt grass

•Wild oats

•Couch

•Other

PelargoniumPelargonium

The genus Pelargonium includes all garden 'geraniums' and several garden varieties. Pelargonium capitatum (rose pelargonium) is a straggling shrubby perennial, softly hairy, with compact heads of pink flowers.

Geraldton Carnation WeedGeraldton Carnation Weed

Euphorbia terracina (Geraldton carnation weed) is a smooth leaved erect perennial to 80cm tall, much branched from the base. The leaves are long and narrow, 1-4cm long and minutely toothed. The flower is at the top of the stalk, yellow-green, and produced in summer. Produces a very toxic and irritating milky sap when cut.

Asparagus asparagoides (bridal creeper) is a southern African plant and is one of the WA’s most urgent environmental weed problems. Birds relish its fleshy fruits and spread the seeds in their droppings. It is extremely invasive, spreading even into undisturbed bushland. It flowers in spring, dies down in summer, then shoots rapidly to climb and sprawl over other vegetation, eventually smothering it. Bridal creeper is a very serious weed, especially in coastal dune ecosystems. CODE: BRIDAL

FreesiaFreesia

Freesia alba x Freesia alba x leichtliniileichtlinii (freesia) This (freesia) This popular garden flower popular garden flower with an attractive scent with an attractive scent has become a serious has become a serious weed of urban bushland. weed of urban bushland. The flower stems have a The flower stems have a characteristic right-characteristic right-angled bend just below angled bend just below the lowest flower. It the lowest flower. It flowers in spring and is a flowers in spring and is a hybrid of two species.hybrid of two species.

F. capreolata (white fumitory, climbing fumitory) has creamy white flowers; the tips of the petals are a dark, blackish red and its leaves are bright green. It sprawls and climbs, its stems sometimes reaching 1m in length. On the Swan Coastal Plain it is common on wasteland, road verges and shrublands, and flowers mainly in winter and spring. CODE: FUM

OnionweedOnionweed

Trachyandra Trachyandra divaricatadivaricata (strapweed, dune (strapweed, dune onion weed) has flat onion weed) has flat leaves and the leaves and the flowering stalk is flowering stalk is repeatedly and widely repeatedly and widely branched. It flowers in branched. It flowers in spring and the white spring and the white petals often have a petals often have a pair of yellow spots pair of yellow spots near their base.near their base.

Oxalis spp. A family of perennial herbs that regrow annually from tubers. Leaves usually of three heart-shaped leaflets. Western Australia has 14 species of which 12 are naturalised. O. pes-caprae (soursob, sour grass) is a common weed with stalked leaves and many yellow flowers. O. purpurea (four o'clock, purple wood sorrel) usually with prostrate leaves in a small rosette. Flowers appear from late autumn to spring, usually rose-purple with a yellow throat. CODE: OXALIS

E. calycina (perennial veldt grass) is a tufted perennial to 80cm tall. The inflorescence is a drooping erect panicle of reddish-purple flowers. Flowers in spring. It is a widespread weed of roadsides and bushland on sandy soils the Swan Coastal Plain.  E. longiflora (annual veldt grass) is a tufted annual to 30cm tall. The greenish-purple inflorescence is a narrow panicle, to 15cm long, flowering in spring. It is a widespread weed of offshore islands, coastal dunes and sandy soils. CODE: VELDT

A. barbata (wild oat) is a tufted annual herb to 1.5m tall. The inflorescence is a drooping, usually one-sided panicle. CODE: OAT

Cynodon dactylon (couch) is a stoloniferous and rhizomatous prostrate perennial, to several metres across, rooting at the nodes. The leaves are bluish-green. The inflorescence of two to seven digitate, purplish spikes of flowers is produced in late spring and summer. It is widely planted as a lawn grass and it invades wetlands and river edges in southern Western Australia. It is native to the Kimberley and the tropics worldwide. CODE: COUCH

ErodiumErodium

Erodium cicutarium (common storksbill) When green, the fruits form a long beak shape like the head of a stork or heron, that split when ripe so that each seed is attached to a long, spirally-twisted awn. As these 'corkscrews' twist and relax with changing humidity, they drive the seed into the ground

Cape TulipCape Tulip

Moraea flaccida Moraea flaccida (one leaf cape tulip) (one leaf cape tulip) Prior to flowering in Prior to flowering in spring, infestations spring, infestations can be recognised at a can be recognised at a distance from the distance from the brown tinge resulting brown tinge resulting from the dying tips of from the dying tips of their leaves. Petals up their leaves. Petals up to 4cm long. to 4cm long.

Pink GladiolusPink Gladiolus

Gladiolus Gladiolus caryophyllaceus caryophyllaceus (pink gladiolus) is (pink gladiolus) is spring-flowering and spring-flowering and visually attractive. Its visually attractive. Its leaves have a leaves have a distinctive red margin distinctive red margin and, in young plants, and, in young plants, are twisted spirally in are twisted spirally in an anti-clockwise an anti-clockwise direction direction

Blue LupinBlue Lupin

Lupinus Lupinus cosentiniicosentinii (Western Australian (Western Australian blue lupin) has blue blue lupin) has blue flowers in whorls on flowers in whorls on a long main stalk, a long main stalk, and 7 to 13 leaflets, and 7 to 13 leaflets, up to 1.5cm wide. up to 1.5cm wide.

Flaxleaf fleabaneFlaxleaf fleabane

Conyza bonariensisConyza bonariensis (flaxleaf fleabane) is a (flaxleaf fleabane) is a grey-hairy plant, grey-hairy plant, usually not much usually not much more than a metre more than a metre tall, best distinguished tall, best distinguished by its stem which by its stem which branches below each branches below each pyramid of pyramid of inflorescences, inflorescences, resulting in a resulting in a candelabra shape. candelabra shape.

Sea SpinachSea Spinach

Tetragonia Tetragonia decumbens decumbens (sea (sea spinach) is a prostrate spinach) is a prostrate or scrambling soft, or scrambling soft, semi-succulent semi-succulent perennial, to 5m perennial, to 5m across, with small, across, with small, four-lobed yellow four-lobed yellow flowers with numerous flowers with numerous stamens and dry stamens and dry brown winged fruits. brown winged fruits. Flowers in spring.Flowers in spring.

CapeweedCapeweed Arctotheca calendulaArctotheca calendula

(capeweed) is an (capeweed) is an abundant plant, found abundant plant, found throughout the south-throughout the south-west, and increasing west, and increasing rapidly in the arid zone rapidly in the arid zone where it is displacing where it is displacing everlastings. It is a everlastings. It is a rosette-forming annual, rosette-forming annual, with greyish, lobed with greyish, lobed leaves, and heads up to leaves, and heads up to 6cm across, produced in 6cm across, produced in spring. They have spring. They have brilliant yellow ray florets brilliant yellow ray florets and a centre of black disc and a centre of black disc floretsflorets..

Guildford GrassGuildford Grass

Romulea roseaRomulea rosea (Guildford grass, onion (Guildford grass, onion grass) The flowers, grass) The flowers, with petals up to with petals up to 1.8cm in length, open 1.8cm in length, open first at ground level. first at ground level. As they mature, the As they mature, the flower stem elongates flower stem elongates and bends over, and bends over, eventually pushing the eventually pushing the seed capsule back seed capsule back under the surrounding under the surrounding vegetation.vegetation.

the endthe endTuart Survey TrainingTuart Survey Training

Friends of Trigg Bushland IncFriends of Trigg Bushland Incwww.triggbushland.org.au