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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Stachytarpheta
(snakeweeds)are
stout herbs with stalked, ovate leaves. The inflorescence is
a long terminal spike, held above the leaves. |
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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. |
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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 |
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Previous page to Appendix A, List of Declared Plants that are not established in Western Australia
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