Weed Identification

Australia > > Himalayan Honeysuckle

Himalayan Honeysuckle

Leycesteria formosa

Alternative Name(s): Elisha's Tears.

Family: Caprifoliaceae.

Form: Shrub

Origin: Native to western China, India, Nepal, Burma.

Flowers/Seedhead: Flowers: In drooping compact spikes, to 10 cm long. Flowers purple to white, to 2 cm long. Flowers mostly spring and summer.

Description: Deciduous multistemmed shrub to 3 (rarely to 4) m high. Stems erect, hollow. Leaves ovate with pointed apex, to 15 (rarely to 24) cm long, to 8 (rarely to 12) cm wide, lower surface paler than upper surface, margins entire or shallowly toothed, on a stalk to 2 (rarely to 5) cm long. Fruits ovoid, to 10 mm long. Seeds ovoid to ellipsoid, to 1.5 mm long, brown.

Distinguishing features: Distinguished by opposite leaves joined by a ridge across the stem; flowers surrounded by purple bracts, petals white to pale pink and mostly joined with 5 almost equal lobes; fruits hanging and dark crimson when ripe.

Dispersal: Spread by animal dispersed seed and water dispersal of fruit and seed.


Purplish bracts around flowers & fruit

Notes: Garden escape in moist gullies and high rainfall areas. A major weed in Mt Buffalo National Park, Victoria and considered to be an important weed in the Queenstown area, Tasmania. Also an increasing problem in the Blue Mountains, NSW.

References:

    Flora of Victoria. N. Walsh and T. Entwisle (eds), 1999, Vol. 4, page 646. Flora of NSW. G. Harden (ed), Vol. 3, 1992, pages 149–150.

Web References: Search Australian web sites for further information on this weed.

Flowering in December
photo J.R. Hosking
Hollow stem and opposite leaves joined by a
ridge across the stem
Juveniles
photo J.R. Hosking

This weed has been included in the WEEDeck field guide as card S19.
More information about WEEDeck is available from Sainty & Associates Pty. Ltd.

It has also been included in the 'Jumping the Garden Fence' report (WWF-Australia PDF - 1.19mb) which examines the impact of invasive garden plants on Australian agricultural land and natural ecosystems.

 

Australia > > Himalayan Honeysuckle

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