Gold Coast
flora and fauna

A guide to the plants and animals that make our city one of the most biodiverse in Australia.
Phylum
MAGNOLIOPHYTA
Class
MAGNOLIOPSIDA
Family
LYTHRACEAE
Genus
Cuphea
Species
carthagenensis
Fauna
False
Mapping

Common name
Cuphea
Alternate name
Waxweed
Historical
False
QLD
Naturalised
NSW
EPBC
APC
ROTAP
Comment
LGA significant
False
Stronghold population
False
Wildnet record
False
Museum listing
False
Introduced
True
Qld Census
False
Regionally significant/rationale
False
Restricted distribution/rationale
False
Abundance
Historical abundance
Endemicity
Overall distribution
Local distribution
Known location
Currumbin, Mudgeeraba, GC Airport, Tallebudgera Valley
Other locality
Riparian dependent
False
Wetland dependent
False
Forest dependent
False
Hollow dependent
False
Terrestrial
False
Estuarine
False
Marine
False
General ecology
Specific ecology
Habitat
Habitat comment
Threats
Management
Community type
Migratory
False
Migration notes
Feeding status
Feeding strategy
Feeding substrate
Diet
Reproduction
Breeding season
Active period
Active season
Social group
Behaviour
Range
Naturalised in moist areas and spread via seed.
Biology
Growth form
Herb
Description
Erect or spreading herb to 60cm high. Stems are covered in dense sticky hairs. Small rough leaves, opposite, 1-6cm long and 5-30mm wide, ovate in shape with pointed tips. Small pink or purplish flowers usually found in the leaf axil. Fruit is a tiny globose capsule, with 4-8 brown seeds.
Taxonomy Comments
Species comments
Citations