Clusiaceae & Convolvulaceae

DICOTYLEDONS

CLUSIACEAE

A family of some 1200 species of perennial herbs, shrubs and trees in temperate regions and at high altitudes in the tropics. In Western Australia, there are three native and two naturalised species. Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) DP was an early introduction to Australia, often associated with places where horses were kept or used. A small herbaceous perennial up to 70cm tall, it has erect stems arising from persistent rootstocks and shallow rhizomes. The leaves are light green and are borne in opposite pairs, with many translucent oil glands. Numerous star-shaped yellow flowers, to 2cm across, are produced in terminal clusters during spring and early summer. It invades hilly pastures and is toxic to stock if grazed. Found in disturbed woodlands and forests, rough pastures and roadsides from Perth to Albany. Native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia.

Hypericum perforatum , RK

CONVOLVULACEAE - Morning Glory Family

A cosmopolitan family of 1500 species in 50 genera, mainly herbs and shrubs with trailing or twining stems, sometimes containing a milky sap. Usually instantly recognisable by their trumpet shaped flowers, except for the parasitic genus Cuscuta and the lawn substitute Dichondra micrantha, both of which have small white flowers. Western Australia has 50 native species and 12 naturalised ones. Convolvulus arvensis(field bindweed) DP is a native of Europe. It is a creeping perennial herb to several metres across, with twining stems that bear hairless arrow-shaped leaves and white or pink flowers, flowering in summer. There are scattered records of this species on wasteland and paddocks from Perth to Pingelly and Boyup Brook. It can be distinguished from the somewhat similar Western Australian native C. erubescens (Australian bindweed) by looking at the sepals, which are pointed and hairy in the native species, blunt and glabrous in the introduced one.

Convolvulus arvensis, RR

Members of the Cuscuta (dodder) genus are often placed in a separate family, the Cuscutaceae. They are parasitic, usually annual, vines, that lack chlorophyll. The tap root normally dies once the thread-like stems have attached to a host. The leaves are scale-like and the flowers are small and regular (i.e. not tubular). Four or possibly five species have been recorded from Western Australia and two of these are introduced. C. campestris (golden dodder) DP has yellow stems and flowers in dense globular clusters and is naturalised on a wide range of native and introduced hosts in coastal vine thickets on the Dampier Peninsula and in the King Leopold Range in the Kimberley, also at Albany (where it grows on taylorina and other introduced species) and near Manjimup. It is cosmopolitan, originally native to North America. C. epithymum (lesser dodder), with clusters of small white flowers, parasitises annual herbs from Kalbarri to Busselton. It is cosmopolitan, originally from Europe. Cuscuta can be confused with the native genus Cassytha in Lauraceae. Consult a specialist text for details.

Cuscuta campestris, RK

Dichondra micrantha, a South American species, is a stoloniferous, softly hairy perennial with creeping stems which root at the nodes, and kidney-shaped leaves. It is found escaping from plantings into wetlands around Perth. D. repens is a native herb with glabrous stems and leaves.

Ipomoea cairica , PH

Ipomoea cairica (mile-a-minute) is a glabrous perennial vine with tuberous roots. The young stems are red and the leaves ovate in outline but with five to seven finger-like lobes. Flowers are funnel-shaped, mauve-pink.

Ipomoea cairica , PH

I. indica (blue morning glory, dunny creeper) is similar to the above, but is a softly hairy vine with trilobed leaves and bright blue flowers. Both are pantropical species and occur as garden escapes on wasteland from Geraldton to Albany, flowering in spring and summer. They are common along rivers and creeks in the Perth area, where they smother fringing trees and shrubs.

I. indica , RR

I. quamoclit (cupid's flower) is a twining annual herb to 5m, with finely divided feathery leaves and red/yellow flowers, flowering from March to July. A garden escape found along creeklines throughout the Kimberley and near Onslow. Native to India. Two other species are potential weeds in the Kimberley:

I. quamoclit , RR

I. pes-tigridis, recorded from Kalumburu, has white flowers, densely hairy stems and deeply lobed leaves while I. triloba, not yet recorded from Western Australia, has small pink-purple flowers on long stalks and trilobed leaves. Both are serious weeds in other parts of tropical Australia.

I. quamoclit near Broome, RR

Merremia dissecta is cultivated as an ornamental and it has escaped from cultivation in scattered locations near settlements throughout the Kimberley. It is a twining, hairy plant, with large dissected leaves with indented margins and white flowers with a reddish-purple centre. Native to southern USA and South America.

Merremia dissecta , GK

Another species, M. aegyptia,is a garden escape at Broome and Kununurra. It has compound leaves with entire margins.

M. aegyptia, GK

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A cosmopolitan family of 1500 species in 50 genera, mainly herbs and shrubs with trailing or twining stems, sometimes containing a milky sap. Usually instantly recognisable by their trumpet shaped flowers, except for the parasitic genus Cuscuta and the lawn substitute Dichondra micrantha, both of which have small white flowers. Western Australia has 50 native species and 12 naturalised ones. *Convolvulus arvensis(field bindweed) DP is a native of Europe. It is a creeping perennial herb to several metres across, with twining stems that bear hairless arrow-shaped leaves and white or pink flowers, flowering in summer. There are scattered records of this species on wasteland and paddocks from Perth to Pingelly and Boyup Brook. It can be distinguished from the somewhat similar Western Australian native C. erubescens* (Australian bindweed) by looking at the sepals, which are pointed and hairy in the native species, blunt and glabrous in the introduced one.	*Convolvulus arvensis*, RR
Members of the *Cuscuta* (dodder) genus are often placed in a separate family, the Cuscutaceae. They are parasitic, usually annual, vines, that lack chlorophyll. The tap root normally dies once the thread-like stems have attached to a host. The leaves are scale-like and the flowers are small and regular (i.e. not tubular). Four or possibly five species have been recorded from Western Australia and two of these are introduced. *C. campestris* (golden dodder) DP has yellow stems and flowers in dense globular clusters and is naturalised on a wide range of native and introduced hosts in coastal vine thickets on the Dampier Peninsula and in the King Leopold Range in the Kimberley, also at Albany (where it grows on taylorina and other introduced species) and near Manjimup. It is cosmopolitan, originally native to North America. *C. epithymum* (lesser dodder), with clusters of small white flowers, parasitises annual herbs from Kalbarri to Busselton. It is cosmopolitan, originally from Europe. Cuscuta can be confused with the native genus *Cassytha* in Lauraceae. Consult a specialist text for details.	*Cuscuta* *campestris*, RK
*Dichondra micrantha, a South American species, is a stoloniferous, softly hairy perennial with creeping stems which root at the nodes, and kidney-shaped leaves. It is found escaping from plantings into wetlands around Perth. D. repens* is a native herb with glabrous stems and leaves.	*Ipomoea cairica* , PH
*Ipomoea cairica* (mile-a-minute) is a glabrous perennial vine with tuberous roots. The young stems are red and the leaves ovate in outline but with five to seven finger-like lobes. Flowers are funnel-shaped, mauve-pink.	*Ipomoea cairica* , PH
*I. indica* (blue morning glory, dunny creeper) is similar to the above, but is a softly hairy vine with trilobed leaves and bright blue flowers. Both are pantropical species and occur as garden escapes on wasteland from Geraldton to Albany, flowering in spring and summer. They are common along rivers and creeks in the Perth area, where they smother fringing trees and shrubs.	*I. indica* , RR
*I. quamoclit* (cupid's flower) is a twining annual herb to 5m, with finely divided feathery leaves and red/yellow flowers, flowering from March to July. A garden escape found along creeklines throughout the Kimberley and near Onslow. Native to India. Two other species are potential weeds in the Kimberley:	*I. quamoclit* , RR
*I. pes-tigridis, recorded from Kalumburu, has white flowers, densely hairy stems and deeply lobed leaves while I. triloba*, not yet recorded from Western Australia, has small pink-purple flowers on long stalks and trilobed leaves. Both are serious weeds in other parts of tropical Australia.	*I. quamoclit* near Broome, RR
*Merremia dissecta* is cultivated as an ornamental and it has escaped from cultivation in scattered locations near settlements throughout the Kimberley. It is a twining, hairy plant, with large dissected leaves with indented margins and white flowers with a reddish-purple centre. Native to southern USA and South America.	*Merremia dissecta* , GK
Another species, *M. aegyptia*,is a garden escape at Broome and Kununurra. It has compound leaves with entire margins.	*M. aegyptia*, GK