POND APPLE

Annona glabra

PROHIBITED MATTER – REPORT THIS WEED (02) 6623 3800

Prevent This Weed

Description Hardy semi-deciduous tree, typically 3–6 m tall, but can grow up to 15 m.

Leaves Alternate, light to dark green on top, prominent midrib, paler underneath, 7–12 cm long and up to 6 cm wide, oval but tapered at the base and pointed at the tip.

Flowers Cream coloured with a red centre, 2–6 cm wide, with three triangular, leathery petals enclosing three smaller inner petals (6 petals in total). Flowers in summer.

Fruit Green, ripening to yellow and then turning black. Look like a smooth-skinned custard apple, with orangey-pink pulp, 5–15 cm wide.

Seeds Light brown, 1.5 cm long and 1 cm wide, and look like pumpkin seeds.

Stems Single trunk with grey bark, although sometimes multiple stems will emerge and fuse to form a single tree trunk. Older plants may have swollen trunks at the base with buttressed roots.

Dispersal Seed dispersed in waterways, ocean currents, large animals like pigs and wallabies eating and excreting the seed. Flying foxes have been seen carrying fruit.

Confused with Native mangrove species, especially Grey mangrove (Avicennia marina).

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.

Prickly Acacia

Vachellia

PROHIBITED MATTER – REPORT THIS WEED (02) 6623 3800

Prevent This Weed

Description Small, thorny, spreading tree, usually grows to 4–5 m but occasionally up to 10m.

Leaves Fern-like, 30–40 cm long and made up of 3–10 pairs of primary leaf segments, further divided into 10–25 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are green, oblong and 3–6 mm long and 0.5–1.5 mm wide.

Flowers Bright yellow fluffy balls that look like wattle flowers, 1–1.2 cm wide and in groups of 2–6 flower heads at the base of each leaf joint.

Fruit Seed pods are grey-green when young, darkening to green or brown when mature, 10–20 cm long, flat with up to 16 seeds.

Stems Spines are 1–5 cm long at the base of each group of leaves. Orange and/or green-tinged bark when young and dark, rough bark when mature.

Dispersal Seed dispersed by waterways and cattle eating and excreting the seed. Short distance dispersal via root suckers.

Confused with Weed species Karroo thorn (Vachellia karroo), Mesquite (Prosopis spp.), Mimosa bush (Vachellia farnesiana), Parkinsonia (Parkinsonia aculeata) and introduced Acacia spp.

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.