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April 2002. Piper aduncum is increasingly coming to the attention of those of us concerned with identification of “new” or threatening weeds and it is predicted that it will be heard about more in the future. In Papua New Guinea, it rapidly invades fallow land, apparently causing almost complete exclusion of native species at some sites. There is cause for concern over the impact that it will have on forest regeneration in recently logged areas and belief that in some places it is even giving that other scourge Chromolaena odorata a “run for its money”.
In the light of reports of the status of Piper aduncum in Fiji, this species was added to the revised Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy weed “target list” (Waterhouse and Mitchell, 1998). It has been pre-emptively prohibited entry to Australia, and just in case it is already lurking here it is to be one of the additional species added to the new Land Protection legislation in Queensland. It is thought to be covered under similar legislation elsewhere in tropical Australia.
Samanea saman (=Paraserianthes saman) is locally naturalised at a couple of sites in north Queensland, but does not appear to have become grossly invasive (yet). However, it is being “watched”.
Reference: Waterhouse, B.M. & Mitchell, A.A. 1998. Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy Weeds Target List. 2nd edition. Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service Miscellaneous Publication No. 6/98.
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