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Invasiveness Assessment - Spiny broom (Calicotome spinosa) in Victoria (Nox)
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Plant invasiveness is determined by evaluating a plant’s biological and ecological characteristics against criteria that encompass establishment requirements, growth rate and competitive ability, methods of reproduction, and dispersal mechanisms.
| Each characteristic, or criterion, is assessed against a list of intensity ratings. Depending upon information found, a rating of Low, Medium Low, Medium High or High is assigned to that criterion. Where no data is available to answer a criterion, a rating of medium (M) is applied. A description of the invasiveness criteria and intensity ratings used in this process can be viewed here. |
The following table provides information on the invasiveness of Spiny broom.
A more detailed description of the methodology of the Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method can be viewed below:
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (PDF - 630 KB)
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (DOC - 1026 KB)
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Common Name: Spiny broom
Scientific name: Calicotome spinosa
| Question | Comments | Reference | Rating |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | Seeds germinate mostly in autumn. | P&C (1992) | MH |
| Establishment requirements? | Only known to occur in ‘open’ habitats. | Tutin et al (1968) P&C (1992) | ML |
| How much disturbance is required? | Establishes in highly disturbed areas e.g. roadsides & waste places. | Webb et al (1988) | ML |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | Leguminous shrub. | P&C (1992) | MH |
| Allelopathic properties? | None described. | L | |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | “Although animals graze young shoots, they find established plants unacceptable b/c of the spines.” | P&C (1992) | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | M | ||
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | M | ||
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | Reproducing by seed. | P&C (1992) | M |
| Number of propagules produced? | M | ||
| Propagule longevity? | M | ||
| Reproductive period? | M | ||
| Time to reproductive maturity? | Plants rarely flowering before they are 2-3 years old. | P&C (1992) | ML |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Seeds ejected from pod, also equipment, machinery, produce, animals, mud, etc. Also by clothes, water & in chaff, hay, grain & silage. | P&C (1992) Anon | MH |
| How far do they disperse? | M | ||
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