Collecting history and distribution of the potentially invasive Disa bracteata (South African orchid) in Tasmania

Abstract

The collecting history of Disa bracteata Sw. (South African orchid) in Tasmania (Australia), the state’s only naturalised member of the Orchidaceae family, is presented. Details of its distribution in Tasmania, since it was first discovered in 2005, are included and discussed with information on habitat, abundance and management. The species is primarily distributed across the north coast (Smithton to Musselroe) with an outlier in Huonville in the state’s south. Most sites are from verges along public roads and highways, but the species has also been detected on several private properties and other less disturbed habitats. Many sites with the species have been actively managed with the objective of eradication, although some sites are now well-established so eradication will require concerted effort. It is recommended that the species be added to the Tasmanian Weed Management Act 1999 as a declared species with the primary objective of eradication.