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Rampion mignonette (Reseda phyteuma)

Rampion mignonette is a localised introduced weed recorded in South Australia and Victoria, and may now be eradicated in both states. It can compete with grapevines and reduce grape yields where bare ground is maintained beneath vines.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: Mediterranean region, including North Africa, southern Europe and the Balkans.

Established in: SA.

Best time to act: It can flower at any time of year, so look for it throughout the year and cultivate larger areas preferably at the seedling stage.

Identification

  • An erect annual or biennial herb growing to about 25 cm tall, with upward-growing basal branches bearing small pimple-like projections.
  • Its spoon-shaped or elongated wedge-shaped leaves are 5–10 cm long and may have one or possibly two lobes on each side.
  • Cream to yellow flowers grow along a flowering stem and have six petals, with the larger petals divided into three lobes.
  • There are 12–18 visible stamens in the centre of each flower.
  • Its nodding, cylindrical capsules are 10–18 mm long and three-toothed; the seeds are dull and wrinkled.
  • Look-alike: Sweet mignonette (Reseda odorata) is similar, but has more or less rounded fruits, 9–11 × 7–11 mm, rather than the larger cylindrical fruits of rampion mignonette; its leaves are oblanceolate to obovate.

Where it grows

In Australia it has been recorded in cultivated, disturbed and pasture land in and beside vines around Clare in South Australia, and in irrigated pasture at Nagambie in Victoria.

Why it matters

  • It has a short life cycle, can flower at almost any time of year and produces many seeds, some of which germinate immediately while others remain dormant.
  • It can occupy ground kept bare by cultivation and has the potential to compete with grapevines and reduce grape yields.
  • It is not known to have established in native vegetation and is assumed to grow only in disturbed and cultivated areas.

How it spreads

  • Seeds are the only means of natural dispersal and have no special adaptations to aid dispersal.
  • Seeds can be spread as impurities in agricultural produce or in mud attached to animal hooves and fur, farm machinery, vehicles, bags and crates.
  • Water is another means of spread.

Control options

  • Hand-pull or hoe isolated plants.
  • Cultivate larger areas, preferably when plants are seedlings, and follow up to kill seedlings that emerge after cultivation.
  • Registered herbicides may be used for spot-spraying or boom-spraying, following approved directions.
  • No biological control agents are available for this species in Australia.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Seeds can be moved in agricultural produce and in mud on animal hooves or fur, so check these for contamination when moving between sites.
  • Check farm machinery, vehicles, bags and crates for seeds or contaminated material before moving them.
  • 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: Declared pest (C1), prohibited. C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. It must not be brought into WA (prohibited organism).
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Not declared. Not on the NT A to Z weed list, and Weeds Australia does not list it as declared in the NT. Check the NT declared weeds list before moving or planting it.
  • 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.

  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board

Sources