Purple Top at Bruce, ACT
Identification history
| Verbena bonariensis | 14 Apr 2026 | MichaelMulvaney | ||
| Verbena bonariensis | 11 Feb 2026 | abread111 |
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User's notes
Same plants as in https://canberra.naturemapr.org/sightings/4719043 showing features which indicate it is V. bonariensis as described in PlantNET. Second pic is upper surface of leaf, third pic is lower surface, 4th shows length of corolla tube compared to calyx. Will press and take to ANBG for Herbarium, since it is not on the published Census for ACT plants.
5 comments
abread111
wrote:
14 Apr 2026
@MichaelMulvaney - Can you confirm this sighting please? and also Verbena bonariensis (Purple Top) - see quote below:
"Brendan and I have examined your specimen and agree with you that it is Verbena bonariensis, which is not on the currently published Plant Census for the ACT.
Kind regards,
Helen Kennedy, PhD
Identifications and Living Collections Botanist | Australian National Herbarium
Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research
National Research Collections Australia / National Facilities and Collections
CSIRO
E Helen.Kennedy@csiro.au "
"Brendan and I have examined your specimen and agree with you that it is Verbena bonariensis, which is not on the currently published Plant Census for the ACT.
Kind regards,
Helen Kennedy, PhD
Identifications and Living Collections Botanist | Australian National Herbarium
Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research
National Research Collections Australia / National Facilities and Collections
CSIRO
E Helen.Kennedy@csiro.au "
MichaelMulvaney
wrote:
14 Apr 2026
Thanks for following up on this one - unfortunately a new weed for us
Mike
wrote:
14 Apr 2026
I think my early sightings of Verbena were always identified to V. incompta even if I had suggested V. bonariensis. Probably this was guided by the ACT Plant Census (only incompta) though the ACT list of Naturalised Alien plants gives (Verbena bonariensis (syn. Verbena incompta)). After a long discussion with CoPilot AI, I am told corolla tube length is not a suitable identifying feature.
abread111
wrote:
14 Apr 2026
I think you are right in suggesting that previous ids were guided by what was in the ACT Census then.
I am happy to go with the botanists rather than CoPilot AI and let them decide if these are separate species or synonyms.
Probably some of the sightings on CNM under V. incompata are actually V. bonariensis, but will not be able to be distinguished now.
I am happy to go with the botanists rather than CoPilot AI and let them decide if these are separate species or synonyms.
Probably some of the sightings on CNM under V. incompata are actually V. bonariensis, but will not be able to be distinguished now.
Mike
wrote:
14 Apr 2026
I don't know what characteristics the Herbarium used. I will put together the CoPilot comparisons and see how they compare.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.104568-35.242600
- Altitude 627.0m
- Maps Bruce Ridge to Gossan Hill
- Places Bruce, ACT
Sighting information
- 16 - 100 Abundance
- 11 Feb 2026 01:44 PM Recorded on
- abread111 Recorded by
-
Collections
abread111 NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Verbena bonariensis Other Wildflowers & Herbs Plants
Additional information
- 1 metre to 5 metres Plant height
- True In flower
Species information
- Verbena bonariensis Scientific name
- Purple Top Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Exotic
- Medium weed or pest
- Up to 732m Recorded at altitude
-
In flower
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes