Brillantaisia
Brillantaisia lamium
family
Acanthaceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
NIL
For information only
Common names
Brillantaisia, Tropical giant salvia.
A large upright herbaceous plant (up to 2 m tall) with four-angled stems. Its oppositely arranged leaves are either egg-shaped in outline or heart-shaped. Its violet, blue or dark purple flowers (20-30 mm long) are borne in loose, branched clusters at the tips of the stems. These flowers have two lobes, the upper being hooded and the lower being curved downwards. Its fruit is an elongated capsule (about 30 mm long) that explosively releases its seeds.
Impact
Impact
Brillantaisia (Brillantaisia lamium) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland and as a potential environmental weed or "sleeper weed" in other parts of northern Australia. It was also recently listed by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as one of 17 Candidate Sleeper Weeds that have been targeted for eradication.This species colonises recently disturbed land and occasionally forms large, monospecific stands. In Australia it has demonstrated a propensity to form dense stands along waterways. It causes serious impacts to riparian areas and other habitats in coastal areas, where it out-competes the native vegetation and impacts upon wildlife by reducing natural sources of food and shelter. Brillantaisia (Brillantaisia lamium) has mainly been seen as a threat to the tropical parts of northern Australia, particularly in northern Queensland where it is more widely naturalised. However, dense stands have recently been found growing in sheltered areas in south-eastern Queensland in the middle of winter, suggesting that it might also be a significant threat to the sub-tropical regions of eastern Australia.
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
Brillantaisia (Brillantaisia lamium) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland and as a potential environmental weed or "sleeper weed" in other parts of northern Australia. It was also recently listed by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as one of 17 Candidate Sleeper Weeds that have been targeted for eradication.This species colonises recently disturbed land and occasionally forms large, monospecific stands. In Australia it has demonstrated a propensity to form dense stands along waterways. It causes serious impacts to riparian areas and other habitats in coastal areas, where it out-competes the native vegetation and impacts upon wildlife by reducing natural sources of food and shelter. Brillantaisia (Brillantaisia lamium) has mainly been seen as a threat to the tropical parts of northern Australia, particularly in northern Queensland where it is more widely naturalised. However, dense stands have recently been found growing in sheltered areas in south-eastern Queensland in the middle of winter, suggesting that it might also be a significant threat to the sub-tropical regions of eastern Australia.
