Re: Ononis spinosa
Holly Forbes wrote:
>
> Hi Group,
>
> Here at the UC Botanical Garden we feature plants from Mediterranean
> climate areas of the world. A frequent challenge is to try to determine if
> what we want to plant will be a potential invasive exotic in our own
> Mediterranean climate.
>
> I have looked in a few books but not found whether Ononis spinosa (prickly
> restharrow) spreads by underground stems like some of its sister species.
> Does anyone have experience growing it? Is it a rampant grower like O. repens?
Holly
My ancient British flora('52) says of O. spinosa "An erect or ascending
perennial 30-60cm. Similar to O. repens, but not rhizomatous. Stems
usually spiny, not rooting at the base."
I think this answers your question pretty definitely.
Interestingly, I found these two species are actually native to Britain,
but I also found descriptions of them in a book of Medit. wildflowers,
so they seem to be very wide-ranging and obviously pretty hardy.
I also noticed the wildflower book, published in '93 lists O spinosa as
a synonym of O. campestris. Those taxonomists simply can't leave things
alone, can they?
Moira
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata,
New Zealand (astride the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
