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Prohibited Water Plants
Introduction
In line with the 1998 Weedbuster Week (held 11-18 October) theme "Identification is the key for a weed free nation", the following pictorial identifies major water weeds and tyheir legal status regarding sale or possession in each state and territory. Water weeds that are targeted through legislation have, or potentially have, serious economic, environmental or social impacts. Examples of these impacts include:
- production losses to agricultural industries,
- loss of valuable wetlands causing native plant and animal destruction,
- increased water treatment costs (drinking water),
- increases in danger to human recreation activities (eg. Swimming), and
- destruction of visually pleasing areas throughout Australia.
Each state and territory has different legislative control requirements for many of the plants shown and this information is available from the relevant organisations listed below. To assist readers, and for the purposes of this article, if the state or territory name is listed under the water weed photo, the sale or propagation of that plant is prohibited in that state or territory. In most cases where the state or territory is listed land holders are also required to control these plants on their properties.
Not all the plants shown are prohibited in every state and territory and there are many reasons for this. One important reason relates to the different climatic conditions between states and territories that can impact on a plant’s growth and make it a greater problem in some areas and not others. If you see any of the state or territory prohibited plants you should contact your relevant Local or State Government authorities for control information and assistance (see below for contact numbers). There are also many other water plants not presented below that are prohibited in states and territories. Lists of these prohibited water plants are available from each of the state and territory authorities. Further information and pictures are available in aquatic text books such as Waterplants in Australia by G.R. Sainty and S.W.L. Jacobs, or Aquatic Plants of Australia by H.I. Aston.
Further information on prohibited plants is available by contacting:
- Queensland: Department of Natural Resources on 1800 803 788
- NSW: New South Wales Agriculture on 1800 680 244
- Victoria: Department of Natural Resources and Environment on (03) 9412 4011
- WA: Agriculture Western Australia on (08) 9368 3333
- SA: Animal and Plant Control Commission on (08) 8303 9500
- ACT: ACT Parks and Conservation Service on (02) 6207 2278
- NT: Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries on (08) 8999 2348
- Tasmania: Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries on 131368
ask for regional weed management officer).
Further information about Weedbuster Week is available through these organisations, by telephoning 1300 363 400 or by visiting the Weedbuster Week Web Page on www.weedbusterweek.info.au.
Guide to Prohibited Water Plants
Alligator Weed (Alternanthera Philoxeroides)
Description:
- grows over water or in soil
- leaves arranged in opposite pairs along stem
- obvious veins on underside of leaves
- flowers ball shaped, found on end of short stem from leaf-stem joint
- hollow stems
Prohibited in: Qld, NSW, Vic, SA, WA, ACT, Tas, NT
Sagittaria, Arrowhead (Sagittaria Platyphylla or Sagittaria Graminea ssp. Platyphylla)
Description:
- grows in the water or on banks
- flowers on a leafless stem and in whorls of 2 or more from same place along stem
- flowers have 3 white petals
- stems are triangular in cross section
- grows up to 80 cm tall
- spread by seed or rhizomes
Prohibited in: SA, WA, Tas
Hydrilla (Hydrilla Verticillata)
Description:
- submerged perennial herb normally attached to bottom
- stems slender pale green and produce short stolons under mud
- leaves pale-bright green with distinct red streak on mid rib
- leaf edges have strong forward pointing teeth
- flowers tiny on water surface, attached to plant by a thin thread
Prohibited in: Tas
Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes)
Description:
- free-floating
- flower purple-lilac, December-May
- rounded leaves
- bulbous stems
Prohibited in: Qld, NSW, Vic, SA, WA, ACT, Tas, NT
Water Lettuce (Pistia Straiotes)
Description:
- free-floating
- produces underwater runners
- resembles small cabbage or lettuce
- flowers small, green, in leaf centre
Prohibited in: Qld, NSW, WA, ACT, Tas, NT
Ludwigia, Peruvian Primrose (Ludwigia Peruviana)
Description:
- perennial wetland shrub up to 3 m
- flowers normally four petals bright yellow 2-4 cm wide
- brown green branched stems hairy when young
- trowel shaped hairy leaves
Prohibited in: Qld, NSW, SA
Leafy Elodea, Dense Waterweed (Egeria Densa)
Description:
- submerged perennial aquatic plant
- leaves in groups of 3-7 leaves at close intervals (2 mm) along the stem
- leaves are 20-30 mm long, 3-5 mm wide
- leaves minutely serrated along edges
- distinctive white floating flowers
Prohibited in: SA, WA, Tas, NT
Senegal Tea Plant, Temple Plant (Gymnocoronis Spilanthoides)
Description:
- grows over water or on land as a rounded bush
- flowers white and ball shaped, November - March
- wavy and serrated leaves
- hollow internodes
- blotchy stems that are six sided when mature
Prohibited in: Qld, NSW, SA, ACT, Tas
Elodea, Canadian Pondweed (Elodea Canadensis)
Description:
- submerged perennial rooted to bottom
- short thread stolons produce branching stems with short internodes
- leaves (6-12 mm long) arranged in whorls of 3 in the upper sections
- flowers small, rare and found on white thread-like stems
Prohibited in: SA, WA, Tas, NT
Salvinia (Salvinia Molesta)
Description:
- free-floating
- bright green leaves with water repelling hairs
- leaves arranged in pairs when young
- long, filamentous roots
Prohibited in: Qld, NSW, Vic, ACT, SA, WA, Tas, NT
Lagarosiphon (Lagarosiphon Major)
Description:
- a submerged long-stemmed plant
- leaves (2 cm) curved backwards
- leaves not opposite each other
- leaves in spirals along stem
Prohibited in: Qld, NSW, Vic, SA, WA, Tas, NT
Cabomba, Fanwort (Cabomba Caroliniana)
Description:
- submerged long-stemmed plant
- white flowers on water surface Autumn - Summer
- fan-like leaves with gelatinous coating
- leaves repeatedly branched
Prohibited in: Qld, NSW, WA, Tas, NT
Hydrocotyl, Pennywort (Hydrocotyle Ranunculoides)
Description:
- grows over water or on banks
- forms floating mats
- leaves rounded and lobed similar to ranunculus
- roots at nodes
Prohibited in: SA, WA
Arrowhead, Sagittaria (Sagittaria Montevidensis)
Description:
- arrow-shaped leaves
- grows in the water or on banks
- flowers on a leafless stem and in whorls of 2-12 along it
- flowers have 3 white petals
- grows up to 1 m tall
Prohibited in: SA, WA, Tas
Parrots Feather, Brazilian Water Milfoil (Myriophyllum Aquaticum)
Description:
- perennial herb originating from bank to form underwater mats
- yellow green stems that root at the base
- bright green deeply divided leaves in whorls and resemble feathers
- flowers are white and on the upper leaves
Prohibited in: WA, Tas
Hornwort (Ceratophyllum Demersum)
Description:
- free floating submerged rootless plant
- stems freely branching
- leaves dark green in whorls of 5-12 and divided 2-4 times
- flowers minute and located at leaf stem joint
Prohibited in: Tas
