Family: Commelinaceae

Status:

Description:
A spreading groundcover, which forms extensive mats. Leaves are hairless, glossy, slightly fleshy and dark green. They are arranged alternately along the stems, and are stem-clasping at the base. Flowers are white, about 1 cm across, with a tuft of protruding yellow-tipped stamens. Fruit is not formed.

Preferred habitat and impacts:
Moist shady situations will produce thickest growth. Quite dense shade is preferred. Wandering jew commonly occurs along river banks, on silty alluvial soils. It tolerates occasional flooding and waterlogging.

It forms dense mats which smother all native groundcover vegetation and prevent regeneration of trees and shrubs. This can have important long term consequences on streambanks, where the eventual loss of native tree and shrub cover could lead to erosion.

Dispersal:
Not spread from seed in Australia. Broken off sections of stem will take root. Spread down rivers by floods, and into other areas by dumping of garden waste.

Look-alikes:
Wandering jew is similar to two native plants, Commelina cyanea and Aneilema biflorum, but both these plants have longer, narrower leaves, which are more widely spaced along the stems, and often have the edges of the leaf in-rolled. Commelina has blue flowers, and Aneilema white. They also often grow in shady gullies, but do not form large mats.

Control:
Very small infestations can be dug out, but every fragment of stem can potentially re-grow and needs to be removed and destroyed off-site. In sunny situations, covering the plant with plastic sheeting for 6 weeks in the warmer months will weaken the plant. After removing the plastic any regrowth can be dug or sprayed. This method will not work in full shade. Spraying with selective or non-selective herbicides will work eventually, but repeat treatments of regrowth will be needed. Plants should not be under any moisture stress when sprayed. Surfactants will improve penetration into the waxy-coated leaves.

If treating riverbank infestations, it will be necessary to plant native vegetation after treatment, to prevent erosion. Consult with the Department of Land and Water Conservation before commencing any removal of vegetation on river banks. Remember that there are restrictions on the use of herbicides in watercourses.