Telegraph weed

Heterotheca grandiflora

family

Asteraceae

origin

Exotic

declaration

Category 3 Restricted Matter (Biosecurity Act 2014)

Category 3 Restricted Matter (Biosecurity Act 2014)

Must not be distributed or disposed. This means it must not be released into the environment unless the distribution or disposal is authorised in a regulation or under a permit.

Common names

Telegraph weed, Heterotheca, Sticky daisy, Telegraphweed.

A short-lived herbaceous plant that develops a basal rosette of leaves during the early stages of growth. It eventually produces upright stems (up to 2 m tall) that are densely hairy and somewhat sticky in nature. Its alternately arranged leaves (20-80 mm long and 8-35 mm wide) vary in shape depending on their position on the plant. Its numerous small yellow flower-heads (15-22 mm across) are borne at the tips of the branches. Its 'seeds (2-5 mm long) are topped with a ring of several yellowish-brown to reddish coloured hairs (4-7 mm long).

Leaf arrangement:Simple
Leaf form:Basal
Yellow
Green

Impact

Impact

Telegraph weed (Heterotheca grandiflora) is regarded as an emerging or potential environmental weed in south-eastern Queensland and New South Wales. It grows quickly, is a prolific seed producer, and can form dense infestations, particularly in disturbed or bare areas. In south-eastern Queensland it has already shown a propensity to form dense colonies which pose a threat to the natural vegetation on beaches, foredunes, hinddunes and the understorey biodiversity of coastal plant communities.In the early 1990's telegraph weed was discovered on The Spit on the Gold Coast in south-eastern Queensland. This infestation has spread, particularly in recent years, and has become common along coastal roadsides and tracks and on sand dunes in this area. It is steadily moving in a northern direction, due to prevailing south-easterly winds, and has recently been found on South Stradbroke Island, Wavebreak Island and along the foreshore at Labrador. The infestations present in Queensland currently cover an area of about 300 hectares in total.Telegraph weed (Heterotheca grandiflora) has already invaded South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park and has the potential to spread to environmentally significant areas including Moreton, North Stradbroke and Fraser Islands. It is currently the subject of a concerted control program on South Stradbroke Island involving the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Gold Coast City Council.In New South Wales, telegraph weed (Heterotheca grandiflora) is present in the Raymond Terrace-Newcastle area in the Lower Hunter Valley. In this region it grows in pastures and wastelands at some distance from the coast. It is also seen as a potential environmental weed in the coastal areas in northern New South Wales. In Hawaii, telegraph weed (Heterotheca grandiflora) is quite troublesome and grows in a wide range of habitats, including as a pioneer on old lava flows and in poor sandy soils.

Location

Location

Characteristics

Characteristics

Similar Species

Similar Species

Control Methods