Bifora

(Bifora testiculata)

Bifora in flower

Status of bifora in Tasmania

  • Bifora bush is a declared weed under the Tasmanian Weed Management Act 1999. The importation, sale and distribution of bifora are prohibited in Tasmania.

  • The legal responsibilities of landholders and other stakeholders in dealing with bifora are laid out in the Statutory Weed Management Plan for Bifora.

  • Bifora does not occur in Tasmania.​

What does bifora look like?

  • Bifora is an erect annual herb growing to 30 cm high. The plant is hairless, with striped stems and narrow, finely divided leaves. Bifora smells strongly of coriander. Flowers are borne in an umbrella-like cluster and are small and white, with five spreading petals that have a broad shallow notch at the tip. The fruit resembles a pair of testicles.

Bifora in flower and with seeds

Image top & above: Bifora in flower & flowers with seeds, © 'More Crop Weeds' by MR Moerkerk & AG Barnett.


Impacts of bifora

  • Bifora is a herb that impacts upon agricultural activities, particularly grain legume cropping, in a number of Australian mainland locations.

  • Bifora is a serious crop weed.

Where does bifora occur

  • Bifora is a native of southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. On mainland Australia, bifora has naturalised in South Australia.

  • Bifora has not naturalised in Tasmania. However, the weed is recorded as an occasional contaminant of imported feed grain.

What you need to do

  • If you locate bifora anywhere in Tasmania, or if you find a plant that you think could be bifora, immediately contact Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3777 to report this weed.

See also
Bifora Weed Management Plan
Weed Links and Resources

Other useful links
Pest Genie
APVMA

Important Disclaimer
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