Hiptage
Hiptage benghalensis
family
Malpighiaceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
Council Pest Vegetation (BCC Natural Asset Local Law)
Council Pest Vegetation (BCC Natural Asset Local Law)
Common names
Hiptage.
Ranging from a large woody vine with twisting stems to a shrubby plant. Its stems have numerous tiny whitish raised spots. Its oppositely arranged leaves are somewhat elongated in shape (6-20 cm long and 4-9 cm wide) with duller and paler undersides. Its flowers have five whitish petals (1-2 cm long), but one is slightly larger and has a bright yellow centre its distinctive fruit have three wings (2-6 cm long) and turn pale brown when mature.
Impact
Impact
Hiptage (Hiptage benghalensis) is regarded as an emerging, and potentially significant, environmental weed in Queensland. This species is listed as a priority environmental weed in the Far North Queensland Natural Resource Management region, where it has been targeted for eradication. It is also listed among the top 100 most invasive plant species in south-eastern Queensland, and appears on several local environmental weed lists in this region (e.g. in Redlands, Maroochy and Caboolture Shires). This highly invasive environmental weed is currently of most concern in the wet tropics bioregion in northern Queensland, where it is considered to pose a significant threat to rainforests and associated ecosystems in the Wet Tropics World Heritage area. It forms impenetrable thickets over forest vegetation and the weight of these vines can cause breakage of supporting trees as well as preventing light reaching the forest understorey. The most serious infestation occurs along several kilometres of the South Mossman River, on the edge of the Mossman Gorge National Park.It is also reported to have recently become naturalised in riparian vegetation in south-eastern Queensland. In fact, one of these smaller infestations is engulfing many of the native species in remnant riparian vine forest located nearby a single large specimen of the endangered angle-stemmed myrtle (Gossia gonoclada) along a tributary of the Brisbane River. While its distribution is currently quite limited in Australia, this species is thought to have the potential to be invasive throughout the wetter coastal districts of Queensland, north-eastern New South Wales, the northern parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Hiptage (Hiptage benghalensis) has also become weedy on several islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans as well as in Florida in the USA. It is has been reported to be particularly invasive on La Reunion and Mauritius in the Mascarene Islands, where it smothers native vegetation and even chokes large trees in natural forests. This species has greatly increased in abundance and distribution in dry lowland forests on La Reunion since 1991 and is also threatening upland forests on Maruitius. Because of its invasiveness it has been included in the Global Invasive Species Database and appears on the list of €œ100 of the World€™s Worst Invasive Species€.
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
Hiptage (Hiptage benghalensis) is regarded as an emerging, and potentially significant, environmental weed in Queensland. This species is listed as a priority environmental weed in the Far North Queensland Natural Resource Management region, where it has been targeted for eradication. It is also listed among the top 100 most invasive plant species in south-eastern Queensland, and appears on several local environmental weed lists in this region (e.g. in Redlands, Maroochy and Caboolture Shires). This highly invasive environmental weed is currently of most concern in the wet tropics bioregion in northern Queensland, where it is considered to pose a significant threat to rainforests and associated ecosystems in the Wet Tropics World Heritage area. It forms impenetrable thickets over forest vegetation and the weight of these vines can cause breakage of supporting trees as well as preventing light reaching the forest understorey. The most serious infestation occurs along several kilometres of the South Mossman River, on the edge of the Mossman Gorge National Park.It is also reported to have recently become naturalised in riparian vegetation in south-eastern Queensland. In fact, one of these smaller infestations is engulfing many of the native species in remnant riparian vine forest located nearby a single large specimen of the endangered angle-stemmed myrtle (Gossia gonoclada) along a tributary of the Brisbane River. While its distribution is currently quite limited in Australia, this species is thought to have the potential to be invasive throughout the wetter coastal districts of Queensland, north-eastern New South Wales, the northern parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Hiptage (Hiptage benghalensis) has also become weedy on several islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans as well as in Florida in the USA. It is has been reported to be particularly invasive on La Reunion and Mauritius in the Mascarene Islands, where it smothers native vegetation and even chokes large trees in natural forests. This species has greatly increased in abundance and distribution in dry lowland forests on La Reunion since 1991 and is also threatening upland forests on Maruitius. Because of its invasiveness it has been included in the Global Invasive Species Database and appears on the list of €œ100 of the World€™s Worst Invasive Species€.
