Erica lusitanica Rudolphi, Ericaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 20.5 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Portuguese heath, Spanish heath

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Plants ± erect, 15-30 cm; twigs of current season green, with short, stiff hairs ca. 0.3 mm, older twigs gray and brown striped, glabrescent. Leaves in whorls of (3-)4; petiole 0.2-0.3 mm; blade linear-lanceolate, flat to compressed-triangular in cross section, 2.5-4(-7) x 0.2 mm, margins revolute, sparsely prickled, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences terminal panicles, ellipsoid, 10-25 cm. Pedicels 1-1.5 mm, shortly hairy. Flowers: calyx lobes (connate ca. 1/3 their lengths), ovate, 1 x 0.7 mm, margins entire, apex subacute, glabrous; corolla white to pinkish white, broadly campanulate, 4-5 mm, lobes ovate-deltate, 0.5-1 mm, apex broadly rounded; stamens 10; filaments 2 mm; anthers awned, ca. 0.7 mm, awns 2, basal, 2-ciliate, 0.3 mm; ovary glabrous; style 2-2.5 mm; stigma exserted, obconic. Capsules 1-2 mm, glabrous. Seeds ellipsoid, 0.6 x 0.5 mm, finely pitted"  (Flora of North America online).

Habitat/ecology:  "Sandy coastal sites; 0-50 m"  (Flora of North America online).  "It prefers well drained soils in open sunny positions and is drought resistant.  In New Zealand, it has displaced the indigenous Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium), perhaps due to a superior ability to survive fire, trampling, grazing, and to produce epicormic shoots.  It is widely distributed in the North Island and the northern and eastern South Island where it is most abundant in open, disturbed habitats and on infertile hill country pasture in areas with moderate to fairly high rainfall"  (Csurhes & Edwards, 1999; p. 158).  "A garden escape in Australia in lowland grassland, grassy woodland, dry and wet forest, and streamside vegetation.  In California in disturbed open sandy areas of north coastal Humboldt County"  (Starr, Starr & Loope, 2008; p. 45).  In the Blue Mountains of Australia, "follows watercourses and invades sensitive ecosystems; seeds, layers and suckers to form dense stands; its mass of fine matted roots crowds out natives; it replaces creekline vegetation"  (Weeds of Blue Mountains bushland).  In New Zealand, "Hillside pastures, scrub and grassland, also in open disturbed habitats such as old landslips, railway banks and roadsides, from near sea level to c. 1000 m"  (Healy & Edgar, 1980; p.  612).

Propagation:  "It is propagated from seeds which are produced in enormous quantities.  A single bush, 0.5 m tall and 4-6 years of age can produce 9,000,000 seeds annually.  Flowering begins when plants are about 3-4 years of age and specimens can live up to 30 years.  Soil under mature plants can contain up to 500,000 viable seeds per square metre and seeds can remain viable for more than four years.  Fire appears to create suitable conditions for germination and seedling establishment although not all seeds in the seed-bank germinate"  (Csurhes & Edwards, 1999; p. 158).  "Seeds are spread by wind, water and gravity, by dumping, and in mud on boots and tyres. This plant also layers and shoots from stems and roots"  (Weeds of Blue Mountains bushland).

Native range:  Southwestern Europe (Spain, southwestern France, southern Portugal) (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (p. 45) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Starr 050816-01 (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 158)
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 158)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 158)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 612)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced invasive	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced invasive	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2011) Naturalized

Control:  "Cut stems resprout. Reseeds freely in bared areas. Regenerating tall vegetation can often be left for natural succession, can be assisted by selective slashing. Exclude livestock, avoid fire and disturbance, minimise spraying. Replant bare sites. Spreading lime heavily often kills or reduces vigour sufficiently to allow succession, but may have similar undesirable impacts on some native species. 

Physical:  Hand pull seedlings.

Chemical:  1. Weed wipe (active spring growth only): 2,4-D ester (500ml/L). 2. Spray (active spring growth only): 2,4-D ester (50ml/10L)"  (Weedbusters New Zealand).

Additional information:
Plant profile from Weeds Australia.
Weed management guide from Australia Weeds CRC (PDF format).
Information page from the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Information sheet from Weedbusters New Zealand.
Impact assessment from the state of Victoria, Australia.
Information and photos at Weeds of Blue Mountains bushland.
Information sheet from Weedbusters New Zealand.

Additional online information about Erica lusitanica is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Erica lusitanica as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Erica lusitanica may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 2011. Flora of North America North of Mexico (online edition).

Harley, Barbara. 2009. Weeds of Blue Mountains bushland. (online resource).

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd. 2008. New plant records from the Hawaiian Archipelago. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2007. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 100:44-49.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.