BITOU BUSH

Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata

BIOSECURITY ZONE – SEE APPENDIX FOR DETAILS

Description Sprawling woody shrub up to 2 m tall and 2–6 m wide with succulent stems.

Leaves Alternate, with cottony down on young leaves. Ovate to oblong, 1.5–6 cm long and 0.7–2 cm wide, smooth-edged or slightly toothed, pointed at the tip.

Flowers Daisy-like, bright yellow with 8–13 petals at the end of branches.

Fruit Green berries, black when ripe, containing a single seed.

Seeds Egg-shaped, 5–7 mm long, fleshy externally with an internal hard bone-like shell which is dark brown to black when dry.

Dispersal Seed dispersed by waterways and animals eating and excreting the seed.

Confused with Weed species Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. monilifera) and Native species Fan flower (Scaevola calendulacea), Guinea fl ower (Hibbertia scandens), Tall geebung (Persoonia attenuata), Boobialla (Myoporum insulare).

Control You must notify Rous County Council if you find this weed within the Biosecurity Zone. Manually remove where appropriate. Biological controls and grazing may limit spread. Cut and paint, cut scrape paint, frill, stem inject, splatter gun, foliar or boom spray with herbicide.

Biosecurity Zone See Appendix 1 for a detailed map showing the Biosecurity Zone for Bitou bush.

Boneseed

Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. monilifera

CONTROL ORDER – REPORT THIS WEED (02) 6623 3800

Description An erect, perennial shrub that grows up to 3 m high. Prefers sandy or mediumtextured soils and tolerates salty conditions.

Leaves Alternate, oval, with irregular serrated edges, 3–9 cm long. New growth is covered with white hairs that are shed as the leaves mature.

Flowers Yellow, up to 3 cm wide, with 5–8 petals. Flowers mainly from August to October.

Fruit Round, green, fleshy, ripening to black. Contains a single seed.

Seeds Smooth, round, 6–7 mm wide, and bone-coloured when dry. Prolific seed production, with one plant producing 50 000 seeds a year. Approximately 60% are viable and can stay viable in the soil for more than 10 years.

Stems Woody, branched and upright.

Dispersal Seed dispersed by birds, rabbits, foxes, and cattle eating and excreting the seed, in contaminated landscape supplies and dumped garden waste.

Confused with Weed species Bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata).

Control Contact your local Rous County Council Weed Biosecurity Officer for control advice and disposal. Manually remove where appropriate. Foliar spray, cut and paint, cut scape paint, frill, or stem inject with herbicide.