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| Wandering trad (Tradescantia fluminensis) Image: yarraranges.vic.gov.au |
CSIRO, news release, 22 March 2019:
Wandering trad (Tradescantia
fluminensis) has become a significant environmental weed in parts of
eastern Australia where it forms dense carpets on forest floors, smothering
native vegetation and clogging waterways.
CSIRO senior research
scientist Dr Louise
Morin said weeds like wandering trad had a significant economic,
environmental and social impact in Australia.
“Weeds are one of the
biggest threats to Australia’s unique environment – in many areas across
Australia they are damaging native vegetation, which threatens whole ecosystems
including native wildlife,” Dr Morin said.
“Last year Australia
spent almost $30 million protecting the natural environment from weeds. In the
agriculture sector, weeds cost the industry more than $4.8 billion per year.”
“The fungus is spread
through spores and needs the leaves of the wandering trad to survive – if there
is no wandering trad to infect, the fungus dies,” Dr Morin said.
“We know from decades of research in this field, that specialised fungi, like the leaf smut, have specific genes that enable them to successfully infect and cause disease only on single or a narrow range of plant species. “So we look at plants that are related to wandering trad including native plants to make sure the fungus will only infect the weed.” Wandering trad has infested native forests across eastern Australia, from eastern parts of NSW and south-east Queensland, to the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria where the biocontrol agent will first be released.
“We know from decades of research in this field, that specialised fungi, like the leaf smut, have specific genes that enable them to successfully infect and cause disease only on single or a narrow range of plant species. “So we look at plants that are related to wandering trad including native plants to make sure the fungus will only infect the weed.” Wandering trad has infested native forests across eastern Australia, from eastern parts of NSW and south-east Queensland, to the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria where the biocontrol agent will first be released.
NOTE
Wandering Trad is not to be confused with a similar looking plant Commelina diffusa which is native to south-east Queensland and north-east NSW. The native plant has blue flowers (usually flowering in autumn) and a slender tapered leaf, unlike the weedy species Tradescantia albiflora (which has fleshier, rounded, glossier leaves). The native plant is not an environmental weed.
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| Commelina diffusa Image: Qld Dept. of Agriculture and Fisheries |
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