Current status and management of boneseed in New Zealand
Keith Briden, New Zealand Department of Conservation, PO Box 13049, Christchurch 8141, New Zealand.
Summary
Boneseed, Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. monilifera (L.) T.Norl., was first recorded in New Zealand in 1870. After a relatively long lag phase, it was increasingly recognized as an invasive weed during the 1990s. Boneseed is now widespread on drier east coast sites of New Zealand and is a serious threat to coastal ecosystems. It is declared an 'unwanted organism' under the New Zealand Biosecurity Act 1993 which means it is banned from promotion, sale, propagation and distribution. New Zealand has a strategic approach to weed control and uses surveillance and a weed-led approach to find and eradicate new infestations, and a site-led approach to manage high value sites where boneseed has become a widespread weed. A range of methods are used in New Zealand to control boneseed, including manual, herbicide, mechanical, and biological control. Boneseed is an ideal weed for control by community Weedbuster groups.
Plant Protection Quarterly (2008) 23 (1) 20-22.