(Galium tricornutum)
Image: Three-horned bedstraw, © Luigi Rignanese.
Status of three-horned bedstraw in Tasmania
Three-horned bedstraw is a
declared weed in Tasmania under the Tasmanian Biosecurity Act 2019 and associated Regualtions. The importation, sale and distribution of three-horned bedstraw are prohibited in Tasmania.
The legal responsibilities of landholders and other stakeholders in dealing with three-horned bedstraw are laid out in the three-horned bedstraw
Statutory Weed Management Plan.
What does three-horned bedstraw look like?
Three-horned bedstraw is a sprawling annual herb. The stems are up to 50 cm long, square in cross section and covered with downwardly pointing prickles, especially along the ribs. The leaves are long, narrow and flat and arranged in whorls; the first leaves are arranged in groups of four, with a pointed tip and a few hairs along the margins, the mature leaves are in whorls of 6 or 7, broader, with backwardly pointed prickles on the margins.
The flowers are small and white, appear in clusters of three and are carried on short branched stems arising from the leaf whorl. Each flower forms a pair of 'seeds' or nutlets that separate when mature.
Spread is by seed. Seed can be spread as a contaminant of agricultural products.
Impacts of three-horned bedstraw
Where does three-horned bedstraw occur?
Three-horned bedstraw is a native of Europe and central Asia. On mainland Australia, three-horned bedstraw has naturalised widely in south-eastern Australia and at several locations in Western Australia.
Three-horned bedstraw has not naturalised in Tasmania. However, the weed is recorded as an occasional contaminant of imported agricultural products.
What you need to do
If you locate three-horned bedstraw anywhere in Tasmania, or if you find a plant that you think could be three-horned bedstraw, immediately contact Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3777 to report this weed.
See also
Three-horned Bedstraw Statutory Weed Management Plan
Weed Links and Resources
Other useful links
Pest Genie
APVMA
Important Disclaimer
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