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Alien Invader Plants
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CATEGORY: 1 CONTROL: Easily
killed with herbicides, but beware cutting down all day as some workers react to
the fine hairs in the air. Cover
arms and mouth. DESCRIPTION: Tree up to 8m or even taller; all parts of the plant are hairy except older stems; oval shaped leaves rather like tobacco leaves with 1-2 smaller leaflets (with no stalks) at the base of each leaf; purple flowers produced in clusters at the ends of branches; fruits, in clusters of 20-80, yellow and soft when ripe; 100-250 seeds in each fruit. Leaves emit a strong smell when bruised. Flowering time: Flowers and fruits all year round. ORIGIN: Originates from tropical South America. WHERE FOUND/PROBLEMS CAUSED: Occurs along the coast, but mainly found in the moister inland areas of KZN, particularly in plantations, however, infestations in east and south coastal regions are increasing. Invades forest margins, plantations, wooded kloofs, roadsides, wasteland, water courses and urban open space replacing indigenous species. Grows rapidly impeding access to forests and retards growth of young pine trees; the fruits provide winter feeding for the Mediterranean and KZN fruit fly which are pests in orchards. The fine hairs on the leaves trouble some people when cutting it down. DID
YOU KNOW: Green Bugweed fruits contain the alkaloid, solasodine, a
precursor for the production of cortisone. Many birds, particularly the Rameron pigeon, prefer
Bugweed fruits to the
fruits of indigenous species and so distribute the seeds of Bugweed more than
those of indigenous species. Not to be confused with Solanum giganteum (prickly stems, red
fruits)
This page was last edited on 22 April, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
