Description
• Erect biennial herb 60-90cm high
• Rosettes have multiple egg-shaped leaves up to 30cm long
• Flowers mostly purple, 5 petals fused to a trumpet shape
• Seeds brown to grey, three-sided, wrinkled and pitted
• Stems are covered with stiff hairs
Flowering Times
• Spring to summer
Control Measure
• Herbicides – rosette stage preferred
• Biological
• Management – pasture improvement
Problems
• Highly invasive – up to 30,000 seeds per m²
• Seeds spread by water, sticking to wool and fur of animals
• Can cause hayfever and skin irritation in humans
• Toxic to some stock
