Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Volume 6 Number 7 1965 Article 7

1-1-1965

Gorteria : a recently recorded weed

Department of Agriculture, Western Australia

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Recommended Citation Department of Agriculture, Western Australia (1965) "Gorteria : a recently recorded weed," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 6 : No. 7 , Article 7. Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol6/iss7/7

This article is brought to you for free and open access by Research Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 by an authorized administrator of Research Library. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GORTERIA

A RECENTLY RECORDED WEED

A NUMBER of our major weed pests including Cape tulip and double gee are native to South Africa. It is not surprising, therefore, that Gorteria, recently recorded for the first time in Western Australia, also comes from that country.

A gorteria flower

During the summer of 1964, some burr- a weed cannot be assessed from experience. bearing found along the roadside The dry heads, with their spiny between Moora and Miling were identified resemble those of cockspur thistle as Gorteria calendulacea an annual and the two plants could be comparable belonging to the thistle family. as weeds. The seed heads would un­ The spiny, burr-like seed heads drew doubtedly adhere to wool although not attention to the dry plants. A close having the hooked spines of Bathurst inspection during the winter revealed a burr. number of growing plants scattered along Any new weed introduction must be the roadside and also extending into an regarded with concern and farmers, adjoining paddock. Later a more exten­ particularly in the Moora and Miling sive area was located at Bindi Bindi where districts, should maintain a watch for the weed occured in patches over approxi­ Gorteria. The illustrations and following mately ten acres in the vicinity of the description should assist with its identi­ sports ground. All areas found were fication:— sprayed with good results although diffi­ The plants usually grow to a height of culty was experienced in locating plants 12-18 inches with numerous spreading among other herbage. branches from rather woody stems. The As Gorteria had not been recorded are up to 3 inches long, dark green Previously in Australia its importance as above, paler below with a lobed or toothed 429 Journal of Agriculture, Vol 6 No 7 1965 Gorteria burrs margin. They are narrowed at the base into a rather broad stalk. The stems and leaves are covered with rigid hairs, making them rough to the touch. The flowers are yellow and are borne in heads at the ends of the branches. They are surrounded by a number of narrow green protecting bracts, and as the flowers mature, these bracts harden and bend outwards to form a rigid spiny burr enclosing up to eight . The burrs readily fall to the ground and the spines assist their spread by stock and machinery. A gorteria plant showing branching formation

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Journal of Agriculture, Vol 6 No 7 1965