Long Grass Nature Refuge
Fauna and Flora Detail
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Wildlife Management System
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Scientific Name
Common Name
Type
Notes
Weed of National Significance (one of Australia’s top 20 weeds). On the south coast, declared noxious only in Eurobodalla Local Government Area, in category W2 (must be continuously suppressed and destroyed). Description: Lantana forms a large intricately branched shrub, which may sometimes climb into trees. Stems are square in profile, with small prickles, and leaves are arranged in opposite pairs. The leaves are broadly oval, rough to the touch with short hairs, with finely toothed edges. They have a strong smell when crushed. Flowers are a mixture of cream, pink or orange, numerous in small rounded heads. Fruits are small fleshy berries in clusters, green ripening to black. Preferred habitat and impacts: Lantana may be close to its climatic limit on the far south coast. It prefers moist soils and a warm, humid climate, which restricts the areas it can invade. It is abundant in the Illawarra, and on the good volcanic soils and mild maritime climate of Mt Dromedary, but very uncommon further south. It generally occurs along the edge between forest and cleared land, and in paddocks is often associated with rock outcrops. It comes up under trees, where birds deposit the seeds, but does not do well in dense shade. Lantana castes a dense shade which suppresses all other plants. It may also release chemicals from the leaves or roots which suppress the growth of other plants. It can alter the soil chemistry so that remaining trees do not thrive. It can entirely take over the understorey of disturbed wetter eucalypt forest and rainforest, and climb to a height of 10m or so in the remaining native trees, shading their foliage as well. The plants are highly flammable, and may become a fire hazard in dry conditions. Lantana is poisonous to stock, and humans. Dispersal: Birds and foxes. Clumps increase in size from seedling growth along the edges, by suckering from the roots, and by ‘layering’, or taking root where stems contact the ground. Can grow from stem fragments if these are deposited on moist soil, for example, by slashing. Look-alikes: Lantana is unmistakeable in flower, but the native herb cockspur flower (Plectranthus graveolens) could be mistaken for a young lantana plant. It has the square stems, opposite, oval toothed leaves, and is aromatic when crushed. It grows in association with rock outcrops in similar locations to lantana. It can be distinguished by being velvety hairy on the leaves and stems rather than roughly hairy. The flowers are small and blue, in elongated spikes. The native shrub or small tree poison peach bush (Trema tomentosa var viridis, previously Trema aspera) has similar raspy textured oval leaves, but they are smaller and narrower than those of most lantana and arranged alternately on the stems, not in opposite pairs. It also has black berries, but they are not in compact clusters like lantana fruits. The photograph shows poison peach bush leaves on the left and lantana on the right. Control: Seedlings and smaller plants, particularly the straggly specimens which grow in deep shade within forest, can be hand-pulled or dug out. Cut and paint plants growing amongst native vegetation. Spray dense infestations, or plants in pasture. Suckers are likely to arise from the roots and will need follow-up work. Burning and spraying of regrowth may also work, in situations where burning would be safe. Hot fires have been shown to kill mature plants, whereas they will re-sprout after a cooler fire. Seedling growth and re-sprouters after fires would need follow-up.
Photos