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Pheasant's eye (Adonis microcarpa)

Pheasant's Eye is an introduced annual weed of cereal crops, pastures and roadsides, especially in grain-growing areas. It can be abundant in crops and is toxic to livestock, although it is generally unpalatable.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: Southern Europe, particularly the Mediterranean region.

Established in: QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, WA.

Other names: Small-fruited Pheasant's Eye, Red Chamomile.

Best time to act: Look for seedlings after autumn rains through June and flowering plants from August to November; cultivate early in cereal paddocks.

Identification

  • It is an erect, usually branching annual herb growing to about 50 cm tall, with stems softly hairy near the base and hairless above.
  • Its leaves are finely divided, often parsley-like, with two or three levels of division; the segments are usually about 1 mm wide.
  • Solitary crimson-red or yellow flowers grow at the ends of branches and are about 1.2 to 2.5 cm across.
  • The seeds are angular and roughly egg-shaped to triangular, about 2.5 to 3 mm long, with raised veins; ripe seeds are greenish-brown or blackish.
  • Look-alike: Yellow-flowered plants may be mistaken for Buttercups (Ranunculus species), but terrestrial Buttercups do not have leaves as finely divided.
  • Look-alike: Red-flowered plants may be mistaken for weedy Poppies (Papaver species); Pheasant's Eye has more finely divided leaves, five sepals rather than two, and fruits that are not capsules.

Where it grows

In Australia it occurs in agricultural areas across the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia, especially in cereal crops and sown pastures on alkaline soils in warmer southern regions.

Why it matters

  • It can be a serious weed of pasture and cereal crops, particularly when crop or pasture growth is impeded.
  • It is toxic to stock, and deaths of horses, sheep, pigs and young cattle have been reported.
  • Its toxic glycosides, particularly adonin, act as a cardiac stimulant, and symptoms resemble severe gastroenteritis.
  • It is also found on roadsides, in disturbed areas and in degraded pastures; little is known about its impacts on natural ecosystems.

How it spreads

  • The roughened seeds can adhere to wool, fur and fabrics, allowing short- and long-distance dispersal.
  • Because the seeds are about the size of a wheat grain, dispersal in contaminated cereal seed is likely.

Control options

  • Early cultivation can control it in paddocks intended for cereal crops, as it usually germinates before the cereal.
  • It generally does not germinate later or under competition from dense pastures or crops.
  • Higher crop seeding rates and adequate fertilisation can improve crop competition and reduce the weed's effects.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Its roughened seeds can cling to wool, fur and fabrics, and contaminated cereal seed is a likely dispersal pathway.
  • Check clothing and fabric gear for seeds before leaving infested areas, and avoid moving contaminated cereal seed.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources