Papaveraceae, Passifloraceae, Phytolaccaceae & Pittosporaceae

DICOTYLEDONS

PAPAVERACEAE - Poppy Family

A family of 200 annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, often with milky latex. Found mainly in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but a few are tropical. Eight species naturalised in Western Australia. Argemone ochroleuca(Mexican poppy) DP is a prickly, robust, greyish annual. The leaves are deeply-divided, often blotched with white and very prickly. The flowers are cream to pale yellow, and are usually produced in spring. A garden escape that is now widespread in the coarse sand banks and cobble beds of the major rivers in arid Western Australia. Also occurs in pastures in parts of the Avon Valley, and on wasteland in the south-west. Native to America.

Argemone ochroleuca, PH

Eschscholzia californica(Californian poppy)is a smooth, erect, greyish annual with finely-divided leaves. It flowers in spring and the showy yellow or orange flowers have four stigmas. The fruit is a narrow, cylindrical capsule. Garden escape on wasteland between Perth and Augusta. Native to America. Glaucium corniculatumis an erect, hairy, bushy annual with greyish, pinnately-lobed leaves. Its crimson petals have a black spot at their base and the fruit is a narrow, cylindrical capsule. This plant is very like Californian poppy except for its flower colour and broader leaves, as well as being hairy and having two instead of four stigmas. Naturalised around settlements on the Nullarbor. Native to Europe.

Eschscholzia californica, PH

Papaver (poppies) have flowers with four showy petals, many stamens and a rounded ovary, with the stigmas arising directly from the top (that is, no style). The leaves are usually deeply dissected. There are about 100 species from the temperate Northern Hemisphere, three naturalised in Western Australia, all flowering in spring. They are best distinguished by the shape and hairiness of their fruiting capsules. P. hybridum(rough poppy) has egg-shaped fruiting capsules covered with prominent golden bristles. It is a hairy annual with crimson petals, often with a black blotch at the centre. Occurs throughout the south-west on wastelands, among crops and pastures and also in grazed arid zone woodlands.
P. rhoeas (field poppy)has a smooth, rounded fruiting capsule. Itis a hairy annual with tall, slender stems and brilliant scarlet nodding flowers. This is the plant, common in European farmland and wastelands, that is used to commemorate Remembrance Day. Probably a garden escape, found occasionally along roadsides. P. somniferum(opium poppy)has smooth, almost globular fruiting capsules. It is an upright, bluish-grey annual with stiff hairs. The flowers are white, pink or lilac and have a purple blotch at the base of each petal. A garden escape found on wastelands in the south-west. (The cultivar from which opium is made, and which produces the poppy seeds used on bread, is not found in Western Australia.)

Papaver hybridum, RR

PASSIFLORACEAE - Passion Flower Family

A family with about 500 species, mostly in tropical America. They tend to occur in disturbed or secondary forest. Western Australia has one native species and two naturalised ones. Passiflora(passion vines) are vines, climbing by tendrils. They have alternate, palmately-lobed leaves and flowers with a distinctive ring of large filamentous appendages, called the corona, lying flat on top of the petals. The fruit may be a capsule or a berry. In Perth and the wetter south-west, P. filamentosa (passion flower)can be found as a garden escape along roadsides and creeklines. It is a smooth perennial vine with striking flowers, 20cm across, with white petals, a lilac and purple corona and yellow stamens and style. The fruit is a capsule. Native to America.

Passiflora filamentosa, GK

P. foetida(stinking passion flower) is a common weed of disturbed areas on river and creek banks from the Kimberley to Carnarvon. It is a softly hairy perennial vine with solitary flowers up to 5cm across with cream petals and a white or purple corona. After flowering, the prickly bracts enlarge to enclose the orange berry. The whole plant has an unpleasant smell, but the ripe fruit is edible. Native to South America, now widespread throughout the tropics.

P. foetida, RR

PHYTOLACCACEAE - Inkweed Family

Herbs, shrubs or trees, often somewhat succulent. About 125 species in tropical and sub-tropical regions. One species naturalised in Western Australia. Phytolacca octandra(inkweed) is a stout, tuberous perennial, woody at the base and semi-succulent above. It has small flowers in dense spikes in the angles of the lance-shaped leaves, followed by shiny black berries. The whole plant is often reddish. It may be toxic to stock. Weed of disturbed areas, including creeklines, roadsides, mine rehabilitation sites and poorly-managed paddocks from Perth to Ravensthorpe. Native to America.

Phytolacca octandra, SE

PITTOSPORACEAE - Pittosporum Family

Trees, shrubs or climbers, this family has around 200 species in warm temperate areas of the Southern Hemisphere. In Western Australia there are 26 native species and one naturalised. Pittosporum undulatum(sweet pittosporum) is a small bushy tree with lanceolate leaves that are dark green above and paler below, with wavy margins. The creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers grow in terminal clusters. The fruiting capsules are orange, with brown seeds. Escaping from gardens onto verges, granite rocks and forest in higher rainfall areas. Native to south-eastern Australia.

Pittosporum undulatum, GK

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A family of 200 annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, often with milky latex. Found mainly in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but a few are tropical. Eight species naturalised in Western Australia. *Argemone ochroleuca*(Mexican poppy) DP is a prickly, robust, greyish annual. The leaves are deeply-divided, often blotched with white and very prickly. The flowers are cream to pale yellow, and are usually produced in spring. A garden escape that is now widespread in the coarse sand banks and cobble beds of the major rivers in arid Western Australia. Also occurs in pastures in parts of the Avon Valley, and on wasteland in the south-west. Native to America.	*Argemone ochroleuca*, PH
*Eschscholzia californica(Californian poppy)is a smooth, erect, greyish annual with finely-divided leaves. It flowers in spring and the showy yellow or orange flowers have four stigmas. The fruit is a narrow, cylindrical capsule. Garden escape on wasteland between Perth and Augusta. Native to America. Glaucium corniculatum*is an erect, hairy, bushy annual with greyish, pinnately-lobed leaves. Its crimson petals have a black spot at their base and the fruit is a narrow, cylindrical capsule. This plant is very like Californian poppy except for its flower colour and broader leaves, as well as being hairy and having two instead of four stigmas. Naturalised around settlements on the Nullarbor. Native to Europe.	*Eschscholzia californica*, PH
*Papaver* (poppies) have flowers with four showy petals, many stamens and a rounded ovary, with the stigmas arising directly from the top (that is, no style). The leaves are usually deeply dissected. There are about 100 species from the temperate Northern Hemisphere, three naturalised in Western Australia, all flowering in spring. They are best distinguished by the shape and hairiness of their fruiting capsules. *P. hybridum(rough poppy) has egg-shaped fruiting capsules covered with prominent golden bristles. It is a hairy annual with crimson petals, often with a black blotch at the centre. Occurs throughout the south-west on wastelands, among crops and pastures and also in grazed arid zone woodlands. P. rhoeas* (field poppy)has a smooth, rounded fruiting capsule. Itis a hairy annual with tall, slender stems and brilliant scarlet nodding flowers. This is the plant, common in European farmland and wastelands, that is used to commemorate Remembrance Day. Probably a garden escape, found occasionally along roadsides. *P. somniferum*(opium poppy)has smooth, almost globular fruiting capsules. It is an upright, bluish-grey annual with stiff hairs. The flowers are white, pink or lilac and have a purple blotch at the base of each petal. A garden escape found on wastelands in the south-west. (The cultivar from which opium is made, and which produces the poppy seeds used on bread, is not found in Western Australia.)	*Papaver hybridum*, RR