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Weeds in our Area (Part One Hundred and Fifty Two) By Bob and Ena McIntyre – Garden Route Region. UPDATED LIST: Echium plantagineum (E. vulgare) Patterson’s Curse & Blue echium Family: Boraginaceae We are revisiting Echium plantagineum (Patterson’s Curse) last examined in 2006. Scrolling through the photo library I came across a photograph of a very diseased yet flourishing specimen we spotted in Constantia Kloof some years ago – see photo below. The plant appeared to have a massive fungal/gall infestation of the stem which was hugely swollen. Patterson’s Curse is very common in the Southern and Western Cape and extends eastward though the Eastern Cape, KZN and into Mpumalanga. Of the two species Patterson’s Curse is the most wide-spread and is frequently seen in degraded patches around our village. The Echium species is native to western and southern Europe. It is also found in northern Africa and southwestern Asia. The two species of Echium were introduced as ornamental garden plants. In the 1880’s Echium plantagineum was introduced to Australia, probably both as an accidental contaminant of pasture seed and as an ornamental plant. The story goes that both names for the plant derive from one Jane Paterson or Patterson, an early settler near the town of Albury in New South Wales. She brought the first seeds from Europe to beautify a garden, and then watched helplessly as the weed infested previously productive pastures for many miles around. Patterson’s Curse is now a dominant broadleaf pasture weed through much of Australia. The shoots are toxic to livestock with simple digestive systems such as horses and can cause liver failure in both humans and animals. The coarse hairs on the stem are a skin irritant. In orchards, vineyards and pastures the plants are problematic with strong tap roots and large smothering leaves competing with crops for space and moisture. Description: The plant has large hairy, dark green, broadly oval rosette leaves at the base. The seeding stems grow to 120 cm in height and develop branches with age. Flowers develop in clusters; they are purple, tubular and 2–3 cm long with 5 petals. It has a fleshy taproot with smaller laterals. Echium plantagineum is a prolific seed producer and heavy infestations can yield up to 30,000 seeds per square meter. Paterson's Curse can germinate under a wide variety of conditions, tolerates dry periods and responds vigorously to fertilizer. The plant disperses by seed movement — on animal wool or fur, the mouths of grazing animals or birds’ beaks, movement in water and most importantly as a contaminant of fodder. Paterson's Curse is unlikely to establish itself in habitats where the natural vegetation is intact and undisturbed. Invasive Status: Declared weed - Updated list Category 1b – controlled as part of an invasive species control programme. The plants invade roadsides and urban open spaces, cultivated lands and pastures. Control: Registered herbicides are available. Control of the plant in the case of small infestation can be done by hand. Herbicides control must be continued over many years to reduce the seed bank. Most seeds germinate in the first year, but some survive for as long as five years before germinating. References: ALIEN WEEDS AND INVASIVE PLANTS: Lesley Henderson - Copyright @ 2001 Agricultural Research Council. Problem Plants of SA by Clive Bromilow. www.wikipedia.org