(Cryptostegia grandiflora)
Rubber vine, © Albert C. Perdeck.
Status of rubber vine in Tasmania
Rubber vine is a
declared weed in Tasmania under the Tasmanian Biosecurity Act 2019 and associated Regulations. The importation, sale and distribution of rubber vine are prohibited in Tasmania.
Rubber vine is also a
Weed of National Significance (WONS).
What does rubber vine look like?
Rubber vine is a many stemmed shrub that can climb up to 30 m into tree canopies. The stems are grayish brown with smooth bark, and have two forms: a leaf-bearing branched stem, and a longer unbranched 'whip' with fewer leaves and which extends onto nearby vegetation. The plant exudes a milky sap if scratched or broken.
The elliptical-shaped leaves occur in pairs and are a glossy dark green in colour. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, quite large (up to 5 cm), with five light purple to white petals. The seeds occur in rigid pods up to 12 cm in length. Each seed has a tuft of white silky hairs at one end.
Seed is spread by wind and floodwaters.
Impacts of rubber vine
Rubber vine is a serious weed of pastures, waterways, woodlands and rainforests in northern Australia.
Where does rubber vine occur
Rubber vine is a native of Madagascar. In Australia, rubber vine has naturalised in Queendland.
Rubber vine does not occur in Tasmania.
What you need to do
If you locate rubber vine anywhere in Tasmania, or if you find a plant that you think could be rubber vine, immediately contact Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3777 to report this weed.
See also
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