Cineraria (Cineraria lyratiformis)

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Cineraria is an annual herb with bright yellow flowers. It is a weed of roadsides, fence lines, pastures and riparian areas.

Profile

How does this weed affect you?

Cineraria is a fast-growing plant that:

competes with native plants
competes with pastures
produces small seeds that can contaminate crop seeds
can taint dairy products.

What does it look like?

Cineraria is an annual herb that grows to 1m tall. It branches from the base and may be upright or trailing.

Leaves are:

oblong and divided into lobes (often 2 -3 pairs of lobes and one larger lobe at the end)
toothed along the edges
up to 8 cm long and 3 cm wide
covered in dense cobweb-like hairs when young becoming much less hairy on older leaves
stalked lower on the plant
stalkless and clasping the stem higher up
alternate.

Flowers are:

bright yellow usually with 7-8 petals (rarely up to 14)
daisy-like
5-8 mm wide in the centre with petals up to 8 mm long.

Seeds are:

grouped in clusters at the top of plants
black with pale wings
2-2.5 mm long with a tuft of white bristles 3 mm long.

Stems:

green or purple
branching at the base
grow roots from the nodes if they touch the soil.

Roots are:

shallow
fibrous.

Similar looking plants

Cineraria looks like fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis), which does not have lobed leaves.

Where is it found?

In NSW, Cineraria grows in the Central Tablelands, Greater Sydney and Hunter regions.

It is native to Lesotho and South Africa.

What type of environment does it grow in?

Cineraria grows in subtropical and warm temperate climates. It can grow in many different soil types. It has been found growing:

along roadsides and other sites with disturbed soil
along fence lines
in pastures
in bushland
along rivers, creek lines and in dry river beds.

How does it spread?

Cineraria seeds are spread by:

wind
water
animals
vehicles and machinery
contaminated soil and fodder.

Soil disturbance will encourage seeds to germinate

References

CISS (Centre for Invasive Species Solutions). (2024). Weeds Australia: Cineraria Weed Profile. Retrieved 16 December 2024 from: https://weeds.org.au/profiles/cineraria-african-marigold/

Cron, G. V., Balkwill, K., & Knox, E. B. (1999). Cineraria lyratiformis (Senecioneae, Asteraceae), a new name for Cineraria lyrata. South African journal of botany, 65(4), 287-290.

Parsons, W.T., & Cuthbertson, E. G. (2001). Noxious weeds of Australia. 2nd edition. CSIRO publishing.

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 16 December 2024 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Cineraria~lyratiformis

More information

Control

Successful control relies on stopping or reducing seed production and spread. The key is to follow up any control work to make sure the plant has not regrown or is spreading because new infestations can become large quickly.

Prevention

To prevent the spread of Cineraria seeds:

Do not dump garden plants.
Clean vehicles and machinery that have been on a site with seeding cineraria.

Physical removal

Individual plants or small infestations can be easily hand pulled as plants do not have a large root system.

Disposal

Contact your local council for information about how to dispose of Cineraria.

Pasture management

Cineraria can be outcompeted by establishing and maintaining healthy, vigorous, competitive pasture.

Grazing

Heavy grazing by sheep can help control cineraria infestations. Grazing when plants are seedlings will prevent flowering and seeding. Light grazing can encourage growth. Cattle do not control the plants as well as sheep do.

Slashing and mowing

Larger infestations can be repeatedly slashed before flowering to reduces the number of seeds produced by cineraria. This is unlikely to kill plants. Follow up control will be required. DO not slash flowering or seeding plants.

Chemical control

Spray actively growing plants.

Herbicide options

WARNING - ALWAYS READ THE LABEL
Users of agricultural or veterinary chemical products must always read the label and any permit, before using the product, and strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this information. To view permits or product labels go to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website www.apvma.gov.au

See Using herbicides for more information.

Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 10 mL per 1 L water
Comments: Spot spray. For general weed control in domestic areas (home gardens), commercial, industrial and public service areas, agricultural buildings and other farms situations.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

For technical advice and assistance with identification please contact your local council weeds officer.

Reviewed 2021