Name: Singapore Daisy
Scientific name: Sphagneticola trilobata
Other names: trailing daisy, creeping-oxeye or wedelia
Level: Category 3 restricted invasive plant
Scientific name: Sphagneticola trilobata
Other names: trailing daisy, creeping-oxeye or wedelia
Level: Category 3 restricted invasive plant
The Singapore Daisy is a ground cover or low climbing plant with lush glossy green leaves around 4-18cm long and 1-8cm wide. This weed is native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and bloom mostly in Autumn but will flower all year round. Singapore Daisies produce yellow/orange daisy flowers around 2cm wide, and seeds are described as elongated, brown and 4-5cm long. The amount of seeds per vary depending on the condition of the weed (weeds.brisane.gld.gov.au, 2020).
Figure 1: Singapore
daisy flowers and leaves by Queensland Government.
Singapore daisies mostly disperse their seeds by cuttings
from slashing and pruning. Seeds can still be dispersed by animals and
waterways depending on where the adult plant is. When seeds are established in
new areas, it overgrows to form a thick cover which prevents growth of other
plants and pushes out competing native plan species (Qi et al, 2014).
Figure
2: overgrown Singapore daisies by Weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
References
Qi, S., Dai, Z., Zhai, D., Chen, S., Si, C., Huang, P., Wang, R., Zhong, Q. & Du, D. 2014, "Curvilinear effects of invasive plants on plant diversity: plant community invaded by Sphagneticola trilobata", PloS one, vol. 9, no. 11, pp. e113964-e113964.
