Weeds of Australia - Biosecurity Queensland Edition Fact Sheet

Ammi majus
Scientific Name
Ammi majus L.

Family
Apiaceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
Australia and the Northern Territory)
Umbelliferae (South Australia)

Common Names
bishop's flower, bishop's weed, bishop's-weed, bishopsweed, bullwort, common
bishop's weed, false bishop's weed, false Queen Anne's lace, greater ammi, lace flower,
lady's lace, large bullwort, meadow sweet, meadowsweet, Queen Anne's lace

Origin
Native to northern Africa, the Azores, the Madeira Islands, the Canary Islands, southern
Europe and western Asia. lower leaf with large, relatively broad, segments (Photo:
Sheldon Navie)
Naturalised Distribution
This species is widely widely naturalised in southern and eastern Australia. It is common
in south-eastern Queensland, southern and eastern New South Wales, Victoria, south-
eastern South Australia and south-western Western Australia. Also present in Tasmania
and in other parts of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western
Australia.

Notes
Bishop's weed ( Ammi majus) was introduced as a garden plant, and is sometimes still
grown in cottage style gardens. It escaped cultivation many years ago and is mainly stem and finely divided upper leaf (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
seen as a pest of crops (e.g. cotton), pastures and disturbed sites, but it also grows in
natural habitats and can be a significant problem in some areas. It is mainly regarded
as an environmental weed in New South Wales and Victoria.
This species is probably of most concern in inland New South Wales, where it
is a problem in several threatened semi-arid plant communities. Weed invasion from
bishop's weed ( Ammi majus) and other invasive weed species is seen as one of the
main threats to natural temperate grasslands in the Brigalow Belt South bioregion in
inland northern New South Wales. Bishop's weed ( Ammi majus) is also one of the most
common weeds invading "native vegetation on cracking clay soils in the Liverpool Plains
region", which is listed as an endangered ecological community. It has also been
recorded in conservation areas in coastal districts of this state (i.e. in Yarragee Reserve
on the south coast and McKay Reserve in the Sydney region). close-up of stem showing sheath-like base of leaf stalk
(Photo: Sheldon Navie)
In Victoria, bishop's weed ( Ammi majus) is listed as an environmental weed in the
Goulburn Broken Catchment and is seen as a threat to the endangered Gorae leek
orchid ( Prasophyllum diversiflorum) in this state. In fact, weed invasion is regarded as
the most serious threat facing this rare orchid, and bishop's weed ( Ammi majus) is one
of the most common and aggressive weeds present in areas where this orchid is still
found.
In other states of Australia, bishop's weed ( Ammi majus) is generally noted to be a
weed of roadsides and disturbed sites. However, it is reported to grow in disturbed and
undisturbed natural vegetation between Gingin and Albany in south-western Western
Australia.

large compound flower cluster (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

Fact sheets are available from Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
(DEEDI) service centres and our Customer Service Centre (telephone 13 25 23). Check our website
at www.biosecurity.qld.gov.au to ensure you have the latest version of this fact sheet. The control
methods referred to in this fact sheet should be used in accordance with the restrictions (federal
and state legislation, and local government laws) directly or indirectly related to each control method.
These restrictions may prevent the use of one or more of the methods referred to, depending on
individual circumstances. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this information, DEEDI
does not invite reliance upon it, nor accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused by actions
based on it.
Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved. Identic Pty Ltd. Special edition of Environmental Weeds of
Australia for Biosecurity Queensland.

The mobile application of Environmental Weeds of Australia is available from the Google Play Store
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close-up of flowers (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

Android Edition Apple iOS Edition

underside of flower cluster, showing numerous branches

radiating from the same point (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

clusters of young fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of immature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

clusters of mature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of mature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

 close-up of seeds (Photo: Steve Hurst at USDA PLANTS
Database)

habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

young flower cluster (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

one of the almost flat-topped flower clusters from side-on

(Photo: Sheldon Navie)