Dipsacaceae, Ericaceae & Euphorbiaceae

DICOTYLEDONS

DIPSACACEAE - Scabious Family

A family of about 270 species of herbs and small shrubs, native to Europe, Asia and Africa. Plants have a daisy-like head of small flowers (florets). One naturalised species in Western Australia. Scabiosa atropurpurea (purple pincushion, mournful widow) is a much-branched annual or short-lived perennial growing to 1m. The leaves are in opposite pairs, the basal leaves lobed, upper leaves much dissected, with linear segments. The flower heads are 2-4cm across, with dark purple, red, pink or white florets, of which the outermost are the largest. Flowers in spring and early summer. The bristly fruiting head is oblong in outline. A garden escape along roadsides in the lower south-west, especially on lime-rich coastal soils. Native to the Mediterranean.

Scabiosa atropurpurea , RR

ERICACEAE - Heather Family

This is a worldwide family of some 1550 species, growing mostly in temperate or mountain zones. It includes the ornamentals, Azalea and Rhododendron. In Western Australia one species, Erica baccans (berry flower heath) has naturalised at Albany and on the Shannon River. It is a shrub with small leaves and pink flowers. Native to South Africa.

EUPHORBIACEAE - Spurge Family

A large cosmopolitan family of 7500 species in 300 genera, mainly in the tropics. Usually herbs or shrubs. Represented in Western Australia by 143 species (18 naturalised) in 32 genera. Many species have a milky sap, that can be toxic and caustic. Eremocarpus setiger (dove weed) DP is a dichotomously branched, compact, aromatic, densely bristly shrub with ovate leaves 1-5cm long. Flowers in summer. An uncommon paddock weed in the central wheatbelt, especially around Beverley. Native to California.

Eremocarpus setiger , RK

Euphorbia (spurge) is a large genus of some 2000 species, all with corrosive milky sap and highly modified flowers, often surrounded by conspicuous floral leaves. Many are grown as ornamentals. Two native species are low-growing plants that have become weedy around Perth. E. australis (Chamaesyce australis) is a prostrate, grey, hairy annual or short lived perennial herb. It has inconspicuous male and female flowers in the leaf axils. Native to tropical Western Australia, it has been introducedto the Perth area and south-west. It is now a very common home and market garden summer-flowering weed of the Perth area and is also a weed of market gardens at Carnarvon. (NB: Flora of the Kimberley notes that the Perth collections are less hairy may be a separate taxon than tropical material.)

Euphorbia australis , GK

E. drummondii (C. drummondii) (caustic weed) is a prostrate, green, hairless annual or short lived perennial herb. It has inconspicuous male and female flowers in the leaf axils. It is native to tropical and desert Western Australia and introduced to the Perth area, where it is a summer weed of disturbed sites. E. cyathophora (painted spurge) is a slender, little-branched annual to 70cm tall. The leaves are elliptic-ovate to fiddle shaped. The floral leaves have a conspicuous red stripe. Flowers most of the year. A garden escape on Koolan Island and at Derby. Native to tropical America.

E. cyathophora , RR

E. dendroides (tree spurge) is a glabrous shrub to 2m tall, with numerous alternate, oblong-lanceolate, sessile leaves, 2-7cm long, borne on the young branches. The inflorescences are conspicuous, with large yellow-green bracts. A garden escape around towns from Perth to Albany. Native to the Mediterranean. E. helioscopia (sun spurge) is a spreading, erect annual herb to 50cm tall, few stemmed from a tap root, each stem with three to five fertile branches. The leaves are alternate, spoon-shaped, 1-4cm long and toothed at the ends. Distinguished by the toothed leaves and large inflorescence. Native to Europe and western Asia.

E. helioscopia , GK

E. heterophylla (mole plant) is a slender, tall, perennial herb to 2m, with narrow-elliptic leaves, 3-10cm long. The flowers are in dense terminal heads with large yellow-green bracts. Similar to painted spurge but lacks the red stripe on the floral bracts, A garden escape around Broome, Derby and Kununurra. Flowers from March to May. It is native to tropical America.

E. heterophylla , GK

Euphorbiaceae continued

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A large cosmopolitan family of 7500 species in 300 genera, mainly in the tropics. Usually herbs or shrubs. Represented in Western Australia by 143 species (18 naturalised) in 32 genera. Many species have a milky sap, that can be toxic and caustic. *Eremocarpus setiger* (dove weed) DP is a dichotomously branched, compact, aromatic, densely bristly shrub with ovate leaves 1-5cm long. Flowers in summer. An uncommon paddock weed in the central wheatbelt, especially around Beverley. Native to California.	*Eremocarpus setiger* , RK
*Euphorbia* (spurge) is a large genus of some 2000 species, all with corrosive milky sap and highly modified flowers, often surrounded by conspicuous floral leaves. Many are grown as ornamentals. Two native species are low-growing plants that have become weedy around Perth. *E. australis* (Chamaesyce australis) is a prostrate, grey, hairy annual or short lived perennial herb. It has inconspicuous male and female flowers in the leaf axils. Native to tropical Western Australia, it has been introducedto the Perth area and south-west. It is now a very common home and market garden summer-flowering weed of the Perth area and is also a weed of market gardens at Carnarvon. (NB: Flora of the Kimberley notes that the Perth collections are less hairy may be a separate taxon than tropical material.)	*Euphorbia* *australis* , GK
*E. drummondii* (C. drummondii) (caustic weed) is a prostrate, green, hairless annual or short lived perennial herb. It has inconspicuous male and female flowers in the leaf axils. It is native to tropical and desert Western Australia and introduced to the Perth area, where it is a summer weed of disturbed sites. *E. cyathophora* (painted spurge) is a slender, little-branched annual to 70cm tall. The leaves are elliptic-ovate to fiddle shaped. The floral leaves have a conspicuous red stripe. Flowers most of the year. A garden escape on Koolan Island and at Derby. Native to tropical America.	*E. cyathophora* , RR
*E. dendroides* (tree spurge) is a glabrous shrub to 2m tall, with numerous alternate, oblong-lanceolate, sessile leaves, 2-7cm long, borne on the young branches. The inflorescences are conspicuous, with large yellow-green bracts. A garden escape around towns from Perth to Albany. Native to the Mediterranean. *E. helioscopia* (sun spurge) is a spreading, erect annual herb to 50cm tall, few stemmed from a tap root, each stem with three to five fertile branches. The leaves are alternate, spoon-shaped, 1-4cm long and toothed at the ends. Distinguished by the toothed leaves and large inflorescence. Native to Europe and western Asia.	*E. helioscopia* , GK
*E. heterophylla* (mole plant) is a slender, tall, perennial herb to 2m, with narrow-elliptic leaves, 3-10cm long. The flowers are in dense terminal heads with large yellow-green bracts. Similar to painted spurge but lacks the red stripe on the floral bracts, A garden escape around Broome, Derby and Kununurra. Flowers from March to May. It is native to tropical America.	*E. heterophylla* , GK