Rubiaceae, Saliaceae & Sapindaceae

DICOTYLEDONS

RUBIACEAE - Bedstraw Family

A large family of some 6500 species, including herbs, shrubs, trees and vines, distributed worldwide but concentrated in the tropics. Several members of the family are planted for crop or ornament, such as coffee and gardenias. Western Australia has 55 native and nine naturalised species. Galium(bedstraws) are spring-flowering herbs with leaves in whorls and terminal branched inflorescences. G. aparine(goosegrass, cleavers) DP is a lax, scrambling plant with square stems with hooked bristles on the angles. The leaves are 2-3cm long and their margins have small bristles. The white flowers are in stalked clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit is kidney-shaped and covered in hooked bristles. A weed recorded from a few rocky sites in the north-east wheatbelt and on Whitlock Island. A native of Europe.

Galium aparine, RR

G. divaricatum(slender goosegrass) is an upright, slender annual, with minutely-hairy four-ribbed stems and leaves less than 1cm long. The inflorescence has tiny greenish-white flowers terminal at the end of slender branches, followed by small, hooked fruits. Widespread on wasteland, swamps, granite rocks and woodlands between Perth and Albany.
A native of Europe and south-east Asia. G. murale(bedstraw) is an annual with slender, lax stems, leaves up to 1cm long and yellowish, solitary or paired flowers in the leaf axils. Fruits small, black and somewhat hairy. Common weed of granite rocks, woodlands, saline areas and limestone shrublands, Geraldton to Eucla. Native to the Mediterranean. G. tricornutum(corn cleavers) DP is like G. aparine, but the leaves are hairless above. The flowers are creamy-white and the clusters are on stalks shorter than the leaves. The fruits are nodding. It has been recorded once, at Boddington, and is thought to have been introduced as a contaminant of seed imported from the USA. Native to Europe.

G. murale, RR

Hedyotis corymbosa (was Oldenlandia corymbosa) is a spreading herb with small white flowers in axilliary clusters. Occurs in disturbed sites in the Kimberley, possibly introduced from the Northern Territory.

Hedyotis corymbosa , RR

Richardia brasiliensis(white eye) is a sprawling annual, with ovate, hairy leaves to 4cm long. It has white flowers in tight clusters at the end of each branch. Found on road verges near Donnybrook. A native of Brazil.
R. scabra is a weed of lawns and gardens in the Kimberley. It is a sprawling, hairy annual, to 10cm tall. The inflorescence and flowers are very similar to R. brasiliensis, but it differs in having fruits with short, not long, hairs.
A native of Central and South America.

Richardia brasiliensis, GK

Sherardia arvensis(field madder). A low, almost prostrate annual, branching from the base. Leaves lanceolate, in whorls of six. The small, pink or lilac flowers grow in tight terminal clusters, surrounded by a ruff of leaflike bracts. A widespread weed of disturbed ground in peppermint and tuart woodland between Gingin and Albany. A native of Europe and western Asia.

Sherardia arvensis, GK

SALICACEAE - Willow Family

A Northern Hemisphere family of over 300 trees and shrubs. Three species have so far become naturalised in Western Australia, although several more have been planted as ornamentals or for land rehabilitation. Populus alba(white poplar)is a stout deciduous tree to 20m. Leaves palmate, dark green above, downy white below; together with the downy buds and shoots, this gives the plant an overall greyish appearance. The flowers are produced in catkins during autumn. Planted as an ornamental, it suckers freely and can form dense stands. Occurs in disturbed wetlands between Perth and Albany. Native to Europe. Populus nigravar.italica(lombardy poplar)has an upright, columnar shape which makes it an unmistakable tree. The triangular leaves have serrate edges and, in cold districts, turn yellow before falling in winter. The flowers are produced in catkins during autumn. Planted as an ornamental, it suckers freely and will quickly block drains or septic systems. It has formed dense stands in disturbed wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain. Native to Europe.

Populus alba, PH

Salix babylonica(weeping willow)is a deciduous tree with a stout trunk and slender, weeping branches, always growing near fresh water. The narrow lanceolate leaves are bright yellow-green. The flowers are produced in catkins in early winter. Often planted, spreading vegetatively from broken branches. A serious creekline weed in eastern Australia, it is beginning to spread from planted specimens on the Swan Coastal Plain. Native to China.

Salix babylonica, PH

SAPINDACEAE - Hopbush Family

A family of about 1500 species, one fifth of which are lianes, the rest trees or shrubs. Found mostly in the tropics and sub-tropics. There are 46 native and one naturalised species in Western Australia. Cardiospermum halicacabum(small balloon creeper)is a sparsely hairy trailing vine with serrate trilobed leaves. The flowers, that are produced all year round, are borne in clusters from the leaf axils and have delicate white petals. Each group of flowers is at the end of a long stalk that also bears two tendrils. The fruits are small and inflated. A garden escape, it is a common weed of flood plains, creeks, swamps and damp savannah shrublands in the Kimberley.

Cardiospermum halicacabum, GK

C. grandiflorum (large balloon creeper) is similar but larger, hairier and more robust, growing to 5m in extent. It flowers in summer and is naturalised along the Canning River. Both native to tropical America.

C. grandiflorum , PH

to Scrophulariaceae

Back to home page.

Webmaster: Rod Randall

A large family of some 6500 species, including herbs, shrubs, trees and vines, distributed worldwide but concentrated in the tropics. Several members of the family are planted for crop or ornament, such as coffee and gardenias. Western Australia has 55 native and nine naturalised species. *Galium(bedstraws) are spring-flowering herbs with leaves in whorls and terminal branched inflorescences. G. aparine*(goosegrass, cleavers) DP is a lax, scrambling plant with square stems with hooked bristles on the angles. The leaves are 2-3cm long and their margins have small bristles. The white flowers are in stalked clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit is kidney-shaped and covered in hooked bristles. A weed recorded from a few rocky sites in the north-east wheatbelt and on Whitlock Island. A native of Europe.	*Galium aparine*, RR
*G. divaricatum(slender goosegrass) is an upright, slender annual, with minutely-hairy four-ribbed stems and leaves less than 1cm long. The inflorescence has tiny greenish-white flowers terminal at the end of slender branches, followed by small, hooked fruits. Widespread on wasteland, swamps, granite rocks and woodlands between Perth and Albany. A native of Europe and south-east Asia. G. murale(bedstraw) is an annual with slender, lax stems, leaves up to 1cm long and yellowish, solitary or paired flowers in the leaf axils. Fruits small, black and somewhat hairy. Common weed of granite rocks, woodlands, saline areas and limestone shrublands, Geraldton to Eucla. Native to the Mediterranean. G. tricornutum(corn cleavers) DP is like G. aparine*, but the leaves are hairless above. The flowers are creamy-white and the clusters are on stalks shorter than the leaves. The fruits are nodding. It has been recorded once, at Boddington, and is thought to have been introduced as a contaminant of seed imported from the USA. Native to Europe.	*G. murale*, RR
*Hedyotis corymbosa* (was Oldenlandia corymbosa) is a spreading herb with small white flowers in axilliary clusters. Occurs in disturbed sites in the Kimberley, possibly introduced from the Northern Territory.	*Hedyotis corymbosa* , RR
*Richardia brasiliensis(white eye) is a sprawling annual, with ovate, hairy leaves to 4cm long. It has white flowers in tight clusters at the end of each branch. Found on road verges near Donnybrook. A native of Brazil. R. scabra* is a weed of lawns and gardens in the Kimberley. It is a sprawling, hairy annual, to 10cm tall. The inflorescence and flowers are very similar to R. brasiliensis, but it differs in having fruits with short, not long, hairs. A native of Central and South America.	*Richardia brasiliensis*, GK
*Sherardia arvensis*(field madder). A low, almost prostrate annual, branching from the base. Leaves lanceolate, in whorls of six. The small, pink or lilac flowers grow in tight terminal clusters, surrounded by a ruff of leaflike bracts. A widespread weed of disturbed ground in peppermint and tuart woodland between Gingin and Albany. A native of Europe and western Asia.	*Sherardia arvensis*, GK