Species
Ochna serrulata
Etymology
serrulata: rough edged
Common Name(s)
Mickey Mouse plant
Family
Ochnaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs
Habitat
Terrestrial. An urban weed of gardens and derelict building sites (Heenan et al 1999). Understorey and edge of forest. Also grown as an ornamental shrub. (T. McCluggage pers com.)
Features
Hardy shrub to three metres. Green elliptic, sharply serrulate leaves to 65mm. Small yellow flowers. Round black fruit attractively displayed on red sepals. (T. McCluggage pers com.)
Flowering
September, October, November, December, January, February, March
Flower Colours
Yellow
Fruiting
autumn
Year Naturalised
1997
Origin
South Africa
Reason For Introduction
Ornamental
Life Cycle Comments
Perennial. Has a deep tap root which makes it almost impossible to remove manually. (T. McCluggage pers com.)
Reproduction
Seeds. Propagated by semi ripe cuttings.
Seed
Sepals turn bright red holding up to 5 glossy green fruit ripening to black. (Coastcare, 1998)
Dispersal
Probably bird-dispersed (Heenan et al 1999) Seeds spread by birds, water, gravity. (T. McCluggage pers com.)
Tolerances
Prefers semi shade of the understorey of forests where it forms a dense monoculture that prevents regeneration of native species. It tolerates wet soil but also withstands droughts. (T. McCluggage pers com.)
This page last updated on 18 Jan 2010