Seriously bad weedy vine

This weed is a native of Brazil as the common name suggests. An aggressive climber, Brazilian Nightshade is a garden escapee. It was grown (and may still be) in Brisbane and throughout warmer regions of the world for its attractive mauve-bue star-shaped flowers which develop into glossy red berries. Stems are green and hairless. Leaf blades (lamina) are deeply lobed, with 3-9 lobes that look a little like individual leaflets. Fruits become shiny, red, globular berries about 1 cm in diameter. Flowers are star-like when open, mauve-blue, up to 3 cm across. Petals are joined at the base. The flower clusters are showy, with up to 50 flowers in a cluster. A problem in moist creek edges, as it gets very intertwined with other plants. The leaves and fruit may cause gastro-intestinal irritation, nausea and diarrhoea. Spread by birds. Look at the base of trees for distinctive looking seedlings. See photo below. Remove immediately. Regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland.

Seedling. Remove immediately. Photo: Matt Tomkins

Fruits are poisonous. Photo: Anne Jones

Flowers with bee. Photo: Mark Crocker

Photo: Mark Crocker