- Taxon
- Weed
Habitat: open, pasture, roadside, wasteland
Dispersal: Seed, vegetative
Recognition
- a large upright herbaceous plant or shrub growing up to 4 m or more tall.
- its smooth, hollow stems have prominent, swollen, joints that give them a slightly bamboo-like appearance.
- its strongly heart-shaped leaves are very large (15-40 cm long and up to 20 cm wide) and alternately arranged.
- where the leaf stalk meets the stem there is a membranous, sheath-like, structure.
- its small whitish or greenish flowers are borne in large clusters (up to 10 cm long), and male and female flowers are often produced on separate plants.
- its dark brown or blackish seeds (2-4 mm long) are enclosed in a three-winged fruit (12-15 mm long).
Images
References
Biosecurity New Zealand 2012: Regional Pest Management Strategies Database. http://www.biosecurityperformance.maf.govt.nz/
