WITCHWEEDS

Striga spp. (except the native S. parviflora)

PROHIBITED MATTER – REPORT THIS WEED (02) 6623 3800 PREVENT THIS WEED

Description Parasitic plants that grow near their host plants base and cannot be seen until they emerge from the soil.

Leaves Green, 6–40 mm long and 1–4 mm wide, tapering to a pointed tip.

Flowers Attached near the top of the stem next to a leaf, with 4–5 petals. They can be red, pink, white, yellow, orange, or purple and are 5–8 mm wide.

Fruit Capsules about 4 mm long and 2 mm wide, ripening from green to brown as they mature.

Seeds Sticky, brown and like dust, 0.2–0.3 mm long. Produce at least 50,000 seeds per plant.

Stems Round and white when underground (rhizomes). Above ground, they are four-sided and covered with short, hard hairs. They are usually singular.

Dispersal Seed dispersed by waterways, wind, contaminated crop seed or livestock feed, animals eating and excreting the seed or attached to animals, tools, footwear or clothing.

Confused with Native species Witchweed (Striga parviflora).

Control Please do not attempt to treat or dispose of this weed yourself. Call (02) 6623 3800 if you see this plant anywhere in the Far North Coast region.