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Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system, WAHerb, and DBCA’s taxonomic names application, WACensus, have been set to read-only mode since 1 October 2025. Recent taxonomic changes are not reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or in the census. We are hoping to be able to reinstate services around December 15; we will provide an update at that time.

The notice period started at 9:00 am on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Monday, 15 December 2025 +08:00.

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Babiana nana (Andr.) Spreng.

Reference
Syst.Veg. 1:156 (1824)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Alien to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Cormous, herb, 0.05-0.1 m high. Fl. purple&red&white, Sep. Grey sand. Agonis & jarrah/banksia woodlands.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 15 August 2007

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Swan Coastal Plain.
IBRA Subregions
Perth.
IMCRA Regions
WA South Coast.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Albany, Busselton, Nedlands, Perth, Serpentine-Jarrahdale.

Management Notes (for the Swan NRM Region)

General Biology. Growth form. Geophyte. Life form. Annually renewed corm. Reproduction. Primarily seed, occasionally offsets. Dispersal. Water, soil. Seedbank persistence. Medium, 1-5 years. Fire response. Generally survives fire.

Additional information. Origin. South Africa. History of use/introduction. Garden escape.

Suggested method of management and control. Spot spray metsulfuron methyl 0.2 g/15 L + Pulse® (or 2.5 - 5g /ha + Pulse®) or 2,2 DPA 5 g/L+ Pulse®. Apply just on flowering at corm exhaustion. Read the manufacturers' labels and material safety data sheets before using herbicides. For further information consult the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to determine the status of permits for your situation or state.

Management Calendar

Calendar Type Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Comments
Dormant Y Y Y Y               Y  
Active Growth         Y Y Y Y Y Y Y    
Flowering               O Y O      
Fruiting                 O Y O    
Optimum Treatment               Y Y        

Legend: Y = Yes, regularly, O = Occasionally, U = Uncertain, referred by others but not confirmed.

 

References

  • Brown, K. & Brooks, K. (2002) Bushland Weeds: A Practical Guide to their Management. Environmental Weeds Action Network, Greenwood.
  • Easton, S.D. & Dixon I.R. (2007) Effectiveness of 2,2-DPA in Controlling Babiana, Ixia and Allium in Native Bushland. Australian Association of Bush Regenerators (WA) Inc. Newsletter., 15 (5).
  • Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Dodd, J., Lloyd, S.G. & Cousens, R.D. (2007) Western Weeds. A guide to the weeds of Western Australia. 2nd Edition. The Plant Protection Society of Western Australia, Victoria Park.
  • Lepschi, B.J.& Manning, J.C. (2000) A taxonomic review of the naturalized species of Babiana (Iridaceae) occurring in Western Australia. Nuytsia, 13 (2): 283-292.