Here's a new weed to watch out for in NZ: long-flowered Veldt grass, Ehrharta longiflora.
I found one in flower yesterday. It's an annual relative of the now widespread perennial Veldt grass, Ehrharta erecta, which the NZ Plant Conservation several years ago voted the worst environmental weed in NZ. That's because it chokes out semi-shaded areas in bush where a lot of native herbaceous plants like to grow.
Long-flowered Veldt grass may not be as bad, since it's a fast-growing Spring annual, but still, do we want to take that risk?
At the moment the only place in all of the South Island that it's known is around the base of Hackthorne Road in Christchurch. Some effort has been made to contain it but the main property that it's on doesn't want the council on her land so it keeps spreading here.
If you find it anywhere else, that's important. Note the distinctive pinkish bracts on the flowers.
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/310728311
#weeds#InvasivePlants#Biosecurity#NZ #botany #Poaceae #grasses
