Needle burr
Amaranthus spinosus, Fam. Amaranthaceae
Upright annual herb, 50-100cm, stiff red or green stems ribbed lengthwise with characteristic pairs of axillary spines, 5-12mm long, at base of leaf stalks.
| Weed Category: |
Other invasive plants Invasive plants that are not prohibited or restricted invasive plants, but are known to spread readily and cause negative impacts, within the region.
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| Weed: | Yes |
| Form or habit: | Herb |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple Alternate Alternate spearhead shaped on long slender stalks, dark green or occasionally red. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
White, Green |
| Flower description: | Small papery, greenish-white, mixed with sharp bracts, borne in dense axillary clusters, often forming long tail-like terminal spikes. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: | |
| Fruit: | Dry |
| Fruit description: | Small, dry, 1-seeded fruits, 1-2mm across, surrounded by pale papery leaf-like structures. Seeds erect, shiny black, about 1mm in diameter. |
| Habitat: | |
| Distribution | |
| Food source for: | |
| Toxicity: | |
| Origin: | Tropical America |
| Notes: | Spread by: probably by seed in contaminated soil, animals and water. Invades/threats: stockyards, wasteland, roadsides, pastures. Seldom recorded in Mackay Whitsunday Region. |
| Information sources: | Mackay Regional Pest Management Group (2018) Weeds of the Mackay Whitsunday Region Second Edition. |
