New EP weed finding
A lower Eyre Peninsula landholder recently contacted us about an unknown plant on their property. With the help of our landscape officers, it was discovered that it’s South African Weed Orchid (Disa bracteata) - an environmental weed not previously reported on Eyre Peninsula.
This plant is capable of invading bushland, where it can compete with native species such as grasses and native orchids.
We are working with the Yallunda Flat landholder to map the infestation and find suitable control options.
If this plant looks familiar to you, please let us know. We’d really like to know if it’s been sighted elsewhere on Eyre Peninsula.
In SA, it’s known to be on Kangaroo Island and in the Adelaide metropolitan and hills areas.
Spring is when the flower spike emerges from tubers, and spreads very easily due to the tens of thousands of dust-like seeds produced from its tiny reddish/brown flowers. These seeds then have the potential to contaminate agricultural products such as grain, canola and wool.
The finding of this weed is also a great reminder to landholders that if you do come across a plant that you are not sure about, contact your closest landscape board office for advice. We are also able to send samples to the State Herbarium to help with or confirm identification.
Find your closest EP Landscape Board office.
Find out more about EP's known declared pest plants.
South African Weed Orchid (Disa bracteata) is so uncommon, that we don’t even have a fact sheet about it but there is an old Kangaroo Island NRM one with useful information (in which it's referred to as monadenia).
