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Scientific Name
Synonyms
Family
Common Names
Origin
Cultivation
Naturalised Distribution
Habitat
Habit
Distinguishing Features
Stems and Leaves
Flowers and Fruit
Reproduction and Dispersal
Environmental Impact
Other Impacts
Legislation
Management
Similar Species
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Click on images to enlarge

infestation (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit in flower (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit in fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

slender creeping stems and leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

flower clusters in the forks of the paired leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of flowers with white and yellow centres (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of immature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of mature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit of sterile ornamental form (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of sterile ornamental form, showing lack of fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

sterile ornamental form invading bushland (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

white-flowered sterile ornamental form (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

yellow-flowered sterile hybrid, involving Lantana camara and Lantana montevidensis (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

Lantana montevidensis

Scientific Name

Lantana montevidensis (Spreng.) Briq.

Synonyms

Lippia montevidensis Spreng.
Lantana sellowiana Link & Otto

Family

Verbenaceae

Common Names

creeping lantana, purple lantana, Sellow's lantana, small lantana, trailing lantana, trailing shrubverbena, weeping lantana, wild verbena

Origin

Native to South America (i.e. Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and southern Brazil).

Cultivation

This species has been widely cultivated as a garden ornamental. Various modern cultivars and hybrids, which are often sterile, are still planted as groundcovers in gardens. The most commonly seen include lilac-coloured and white-coloured cultivars that are similar to the typical form of the species, except that they are sterile. Sterile cultivars with golden-yellow flowers are also common, but these are actually hybrids involving Lantana montevidensis and Lantana camara . These hybrids are usually named after one of the two parent species (e.g. Lantana montevidensis 'Pot of Gold' and Lantana camara 'New Gold').

Naturalised Distribution

This species is widely naturalised in eastern Australia (i.e. in eastern Queensland and some parts of eastern New South Wales). It is most common and widespread in the coastal and sub-coastal districts of south-eastern and central Queensland. Possibly also naturalised in the Northern Territory.

Also naturalised in many other parts of the world, including New Zealand, Hawaii, New Caledonia and southern USA (i.e. California, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida).

Habitat

Largely found in tropical and sub-tropical environments, and occasionally also in temperate and semi-arid regions. Primarily a weed of pastures, open woodlands, hillsides, railways, roadsides, embankments, disturbed sites and waste areas.

Habit

A low-growing (i.e. prostrate or decumbent), long-lived (i.e. perennial), shrubby plant with a creeping, trailing or scrambling habit.

Distinguishing Features

Stems and Leaves

The slender stems (1-2 mm thick) are four-angled (i.e. quadrangular) at first, but become woody (about 5 mm thick) and more or less cylindrical as they mature. These stems grow to about 1 m long and form dense mats over the ground surface. They sometimes also produce roots at their joints (i.e. nodes) where they come into contact with the soil.

The leaves are oppositely arranged and are borne on short stalks (i.e. petioles) 2-4 mm long. These leaves (8-40 mm long and 5-25 mm wide) are egg-shaped in outline (i.e. ovate) with finely toothed (i.e. crenate or serrate) margins. Their upper surfaces are rough to the touch (i.e. scabrous), while their undersides are softly hairy (i.e. pubescent).

Flowers and Fruit

The small tubular flowers (8-12 mm long and 4-8 mm across) are borne in dense clusters (1-4 cm across). The flowers on the outer edges of these clusters open first, with the others opening successively inwards. Individual flowers are borne on short stalks (i.e. pedicels) all originating from the same point at the top of a longer flowering stem (i.e. peduncle) 2-8 cm long. The flowers are initially pink, mauve or pale purple with a white or yellowish coloured throat. As they age they change colour slightly, generally become entirely purple. Flowering occurs throughout most of the year.

The fruit is a single-seeded fleshy 'berry' (i.e. drupe). These fruit (6-8 mm across) are green at first and turn pinkish, reddish-purple or purplish in colour as they mature. The pale seeds are stony and about 4 mm long.

Note: some garden cultivars of this species do not produce fruit.

Reproduction and Dispersal

This plant reproduces by seed, which are dispersed when the fleshy fruit are eaten by birds and other animals. It also spreads across the ground laterally, occasionally rooting at the stem joints (i.e. nodes). Seeds and stem segments are occasionally dispersed in dumped garden waste.

Environmental Impact

Creeping lantana (Lantana montevidensis) is regarded as a significant environmental weed Queensland and as an environmental weed in New South Wales. It was also recently listed as a priority environmental weed in at least one Natural Resource Management region.

Other Impacts

 

Legislation

This species is declared under legislation in the following states and territories:

Management

For information on the management of this species see the following resources:

Similar Species

Creeping lantana (Lantana montevidensis) is relatively similar to lantana (Lantana camara). However, lantana (Lantana camara) it a much taller plant with a more upright (i.e. erect) growth habit and usually has prickles or thorns along its stems.