DICOTYLEDONS

URTICACEAE - Nettle Family

The 1900 species in this family are mostly herbs or subshrubs, but a few are lianes or small trees. They occur mostly in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Four native and three naturalised species in Western Australia.Parietaria judaica(pellitory)is a perennial, with sprawling, brittle, reddish stems, sometimes reaching 50cm in height. The leaves are ovate, with hairs on the veins on the lower surface. The inconspicuous green flowers are clustered in the leaf axils and appear in summer. It prefers calcareous sites and is naturalised at Fremantle on wasteland and old walls, and also on cliffs, such as along the Swan River. A native of Europe. The native pellitories, P. debilisand P. cardiostegia, are much more delicate plants that are found in moist, shady situations from Exmouth to east of Esperance.


Parietaria judaica, GK

Soleirolia soleirolii (baby's tears, mind your own business)is a low-growing spreading perennial, with creeping, rooting, hairy stems and small, round, alternate leaves. The minute white flowers are produced in the leaf axils in spring. It is naturalised in springs and seepages along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge. A native of southern Europe.


Soleirolia soleirolii , PH

Urtica urens(small nettle)is an annual up to 50cm tall. The leaves are opposite, ovate and have toothed margins. The leaves and stems are covered with stinging hairs and the small green flowers are produced in clusters in the axils of the upper leaves during spring. Found mostly in the lower south-west, but also around settlements as far inland as the eastern Goldfields. A frequent weed of horticultural crops around Perth. A cosmopolitan weed, probably originally from the Mediterranean.


Urtica urens, RR

VALERIANACEAE - Valerian Family

This family contains approximately 300 species, mostly herbs, throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also southern Africa and South America. Two species are naturalised in Western Australia. Centranthus macrosiphon(pretty betsy)is a smooth, greyish annual up to 40cm high. It has opposite, elliptic, greenish-grey leaves, some of which may have toothed margins. The small cerise flowers are displayed during spring in a rounded head above the leaves. A garden escape, it prefers calcareous soils and has naturalised on roadsides and in tuart woodlands from Perth to Busselton. Native to Spain. Superficially similar, C. ruber (red valerian)is perennial and forms a dome-shaped plant to 30cm in height. The grey-green leaves are opposite and somewhat fleshy and smooth. The flowers are produced during spring on stiffly upright stems. They are tubular with pinkish red, spreading petals. Naturalising along firebreaks and on granite rocks in the Albany area. A native of the Mediterranean.


Centranthus macrosiphon, GK

 

VERBENACEAE - Verbena Family

A mainly tropical and sub-tropical family with some 3000 species. They may be herbs, shrubs, trees or lianes. Ten native and at least seven naturalised species in Western Australia.
Lantana camara(lantana)is an evergreen shrub with arching, spreading branches that can form a dense tangled mass over 3m high and wide. The ovate, serrate leaves are rough to the touch. The flowers are arranged in flat heads, pale cream, aging to cerise, and produced in spring and summer. The black berries are edible and are spread by birds. Naturalised in wetter wasteland areas around Perth. It was eradicated from bushland near Kununurra in 1995. Native of South America. Several other lantanas are planted in gardens, and may have the potential to become naturalised. L. camara is a serious bushland weed in eastern Australia.


Lantana camara, RR

Phyla nodiflora(lippia, fogfruit, carpet weed)is a spreading perennial, rooting at the nodes, flowering stems ascending to 20cm high. The toothed, spoon-shaped leaves are covered with hairs, making them appear grey-green. Pink or white flowers in rounded spikes are produced in early summer. Often planted as a lawn, and has been recorded as naturalised in wetlands throughout Western Australia, however it may be native in the Kimberley. Native to tropical America.


Phyla nodiflora, RR

Stachytarpheta (snakeweeds)are stout herbs with stalked, ovate leaves. The inflorescence is a long terminal spike, held above the leaves.
S. cayennensisis an erect shrub to 2m with opposite, ovate, toothed, membranaceous leaves. The blue flowers are produced during April and May. A garden escape, it grows along creeklines in the Kimberley. A closely related plant, S. jamaicensis, which has darker blue-mauve flowers and fleshy rather than membranaceous leaves, grows in the Northern Territory and probably also occurs in the Kimberley. Both are native to tropical America.


Stachytarpheta cayennensis, RR

Two Verbena species have occasionally been recorded as weeds near settlements in the south-west; both flower in spring and are native to South America. V. bonariensis (purple top) is a spreading perennial with erect, branching stems to 2m tall. The leaves are ovate with serrate margins and the small, tubular lilac flowers are produced in terminal clusters.
V. rigida (veined verbena) is a spreading perennial, with branching upright stems to 60cm. The leaves are oblong with serrate margins and may reach 15cm long. The tubular magenta flowers are produced in terminal clusters.Vitex trifolia is an erect shrub that can reach 3m. Its leaves can have either three leaflets, in which case the end leaflet is the largest, or only one. The pale blue flowers are borne on spikes above the leaves from May to November. A widely-cultivated tropical garden plant, that has escaped in the Kimberley, and is perhaps native to Africa and the western Pacific islands. There are also native species of Vitex, consult a specialist text for identification.


Verbena bonariensis , PH

VIOLACEAE - Violet Family

A family of about 800 species of worldwide distribution. Eight species native to Western Australia and one naturalised.

Viola odorata(violet).A spreading perennial, with prostrate stems that root at the nodes. The leaves are more or less heart shaped and the sweetly-scented flowers appear in spring. Violets like good soil in moist, sheltered positions, and are naturalised in karri forest at Boranup. A native of Europe. Other violets are grown in gardens, and several may have the potential to naturalise in suitable locations.

ZYGOPHYLLACEAE - Twinleaf Family

A family of some 250 species of shrubs, small trees or herbs. They are mostly tropical or
sub-tropical and many grow in dry or saline conditions. Thirty species native to Western Australia and one naturalised.
Tribulus terrestris(caltrop, cat-head, puncture vine) PP is a prostrate annual with pinnate leaves, yellow flowers less than 1cm across and very spiny fruits. This plant is a cosmopolitan weed, and forms of it may be native to Western Australia or introduced prior to European settlement. It is widespread in the Kimberley and arid zone, and is spreading along roadsides in the south-west. There are several rather similar native caltrops which generally have larger flowers and less spiny fruits.


Tribulus terrestris, RR

 

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