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Limnocharis
Pest alert
If you have seen this plant
Call us 13 25 23
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- Limnocharis flower
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- Limnocharis plant (Limnocharis flava)
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- Limnocharis fruit and fruit segments containing seed
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- Limnocharis plant
General information
Limnocharis (Limnocharis flava), also known as yellow burrhead, is a Class 1 declared pest plant in Queensland. It is the target of a national eradication program, which means it is subject to eradication from Australia. Landowners must take reasonable steps to keep land free of Class 1 pests. It is a serious offence to introduce, keep or supply a Class 1 pest without a permit issued by Biosecurity Queensland. Penalties of up to $80,000 apply.
Limnocharis presents a serious agricultural and biodiversity threat to northern Australia. To date infestations detected in northern Australia have included plants located in backyard ponds, ornamental lakes, farm drains and in natural waterways.
Overview
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Scientific name |
Limnocharis flava |
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Impacts |
- colonises shallow wetlands and margins of deeper waterways
- displaces native plants and animals
- restricts human and livestock access to water
- provides breeding areas for mosquitoes
- restricts water flow and traps silt
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Description |
- anchored aquatic plant with erect stems (i.e. leaves do not lie flat on surface of the water body)
- up to 1 m above the water-line
- flowers are small, yellow and cup-shaped
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Habitat/distribution/life cycle |
- native to South America
- introduced to the southern United States and parts of Asia
- grows in saturated, fertile and muddy conditions
- frost-sensitive
- can flower all through the year
- reproduces vegetatively from cuttings, detached leaves and stems and by seed
- seeds are spread by running water, water birds and animals, and by mud sticking to vehicles, machinery and footwear
- potential distribution in Australia includes the coastal regions of the Northern Territory, northern Western Australia and much of eastern Queensland
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Control |
- Limnocharis flava is the target of a national eradication program.
- New infestations must:
- be reported to the Biosecurity Queensland hotline, Phone 13 25 23
- be identified and removed by approved officers
- have their locations recorded prior to removal
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Declaration details |
- a declared Class 1 species under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002
- importation, possession and sale is prohibited
- landowners are required by law to keep their land free of this plant
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Further information |
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Page maintained by Sonia Jordan
Last reviewed 13 September 2011
