The University of Adelaide has been investigating the possiblity that a native vine may be an effective tool in controlling a number of environmental weed species.
Cassytha pubescens is a native parasitic vine that occurs on a broad range of host species in woodlands with a shrubby understorey in south-eastern Australia.
Dense growth of C. pubescens has been observed on the introduced species, gorse (Ulex europaeus) and broom (Cytisus scoparius) in the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia.
At some sites, dead gorse and broom have been found covered in mats of C. pubescens yet it is not clear whether host mortality results from parasite infection.
If C. pubescens has a greater impact on gorse and broom than native species, there is potential for its use in the control of these weeds.