Berry Nsw

Taxonomy

Chrysanthemoides monilifera is one of only two members of the genus Chrysanthemoides, the other is Chrysanthemoides incana.

C. monilifera has six subspecies recognized:

ssp. canescens

ssp. monilifera

ssp. pisifera

ssp. rotundata

ssp. septentrionalis

ssp. subcanescens

In Australia, C. monilifera m. ssp. Is known as the Joint Boneseed, while C. m. ssp. Rotundata is known as the Joint Bitou Bush. New Zealand subspecies are not distinguished and C. monilifera is simply known as "Boneseed.

C. monilifera was first described by Linnaeus in 1754 under the name of Osteospermum monilifera, but it was given its present name in 1943 by T. binomial Norlindh.

The species name comes from monilifera monile Latin meaning necklace or collar, referring to the bright fruit arranged around the flowers like a necklace.

Description

Boneseed is a perennial, woody shrub law, more than 3 m (10 ft), although sometimes higher. He is a member of the family Asteraceae (daisy) and has showy, bright yellow flowers in swirls of 5-8 'petals' (rays) up to 30 mm (1.4 inches) in diameter. The fruits are berries like, spherical, about 8 mm in diameter, turn dark brown to black with a bone colored seed inside diameter of 67 mm. The leaves are 26 cm (0.8 to 2.4 inches) long by 1.55 cm (0.62 inches) wide, oval tapering at the base with irregularly toothed margins.

Bitou Bush can be distinguished from Boneseed in part due to its sprawling habit more rounds to 1.52 m (4.57 ft), less sensitive toothy edges of the leaves and seeds that are like eggs rather than spherical.

Both Boneseed Bitou Bush and hybridize easily, however, many examples of plants showing a fusion of traits is possible.

Distribution and habitat

Chrysanthemoides monilifera occurs naturally in coastal areas of South Africa, reaching into southern Namibia and Mozambique. The sub-species most prevalent in South Africa is pisifera. rotundata subspecies is concentrated along the eastern coast of South Africa from its southern end to the Mozambique border. monilifera subspecies is concentrated around Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula in South Africa from the coast of south-west.

In Australia, subspecies rotundata (Bitou Bush) has naturalized along the coast of Queensland and New South Wales, while monilifera subspecies (Boneseed) has naturalized along and near the coast in areas of Victoria and South Australia.

In New Zealand C. monilifera, which is listed on the National Accord of pest plant, is common in coastal areas throughout the North Island, and can also be found in the South Island from Nelson City, Port Hills (Christchurch) and the Otago Peninsula.

Introduction and spread in Australia

Boneseed was introduced in Australia as a garden ornamental in the mid-nineteenth century, with the first recorded examples in the gardens in 1852 in Sydney and Melbourne in 1858. We think Boneseed were naturalized in Australia, with self-sustaining populations, 1910. Bitou Bush arrived a little later around 1908, probably in the ballast of a South African ship anchored off the coast of New South Wales. Thereafter, two sub-species have been widely planted to stabilize dunes and coastal erosion control, especially since the mid-1940s to 1960, with Boneseed most commonly planted in Victoria and Bitou Bush more commonly P.