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Lippia
Phyla canescens
-37.8967, 145.31
Field Notes
Description:
Like a miniature Lantana, the flowers of this herbaceous weed are only 10mm in diameter. They are light purple in colour and grow as low ground covers. The tiny leaves are slightly hairy, stalkless and ovate growing around the nodes.
This plant belongs to the Verbenaceae family as does Lantana.
Habitat:
Grows almost in any type of soil. It is a native of the American continent but has become a serious environmental problem along the Queensland and New South Wales Murray Darling river systems.
Notes:
I found these flowers on a patch of grass on a mown nature strip. The leaves and plant formed a mat - very pretty to look at especially as the flowers looked exactly like Lantana flowers but very much smaller in size. I have since found out how destructive they are to pastoral industry and the river system. They have low fodder value and spread easily after floods. They inhibit establishment of native vegetation especially in riparian areas around rivers thus exacerbating soil erosion. The weed is difficult to destroy or control. Biological controls are now being researched.
This species has been sold as an alternative to grass for lawns but the sale of Phyla canescens in NWS is prohibited.
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