2. ROOIKRANS – Acacia cyclops
A MATURE ROOIKRANS BUSH – Acacia cyclops (Photo by Steve Coe)
Category2 plant
Also a native of south-western Australia, Rooikrans, like Port Jackson, is a member of the Legume family, Fabaceae. It is extremely invasive of both sandy coastal margins (lowland fynbos) and is becoming an increasing threat to mountain fynbos as well. It looks somewhat similar to the Port Jackson, but has banks of finer “leaves” on spindly stems, that form close together to give a more bushy appearance. Rooikrans shrubs rarely exceed 2 meters in height, but can mass together to make impenetrable thickets of almost continuous vegetation.
THE DENSE VEGETATION OF A ROOIKRANS BUSH (Photo by Steve Coe)
Rooikrans , like Port Jackson, does not have true leaves and what we are seeing in the photo above are actually leaf stems (Phyllodes). From October to May, Rooikrans produces rather nondescript yellow flowers, which are shortly followed by bean like seed pods. These are very twisted, with a bright red pithy stalk formed around the dark seeds within the pod. The seed pods dry out and remain in clusters of spirals on the plant for several months after the seeds have dropped. The seeds are spread by wind, birds and by the passage of vehicles and other human activity. Much of the invasion of new areas (and re-colonization after clearing) takes place along the verges of roads.
NONDESCRIPT BLOOMS OF ROOIKRANS (Photo by Steve Coe)
AND SEED PODS
(Photo from Plant Invaders (1978) – Botanical Research Institute Handbook)
Rooikrans does not coppice if cut and provided it is cut off close to ground level will not require additional chemical control with herbicides. Young plants are easily pulled up and mature plants can be hacked or ring barked. Its wood is dense and provides good firewood.
NOTE : IT IS AN OFFENSE TO HAVE THIS PLANT ON YOUR PROPERTY –
ERADICATE IT ON SIGHT.
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