Ardisia elliptica Thunb., Primulaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 11 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Ardisia humilis sensu Mez, non Vahl

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: dong fang zi jin niu

English: duck's eye, ellliptical-leaf ardisia, shoebutton ardisia

Maori (Cook Islands): venevene tinitō, vine tinitō

Tahitian: ati popa‘a, atiu

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Branched shrubs up to 4 m tall, glabrous.  Leaves alternate, obovate or oblanceolate, 6-9 cm long, 1.5-4 cm wide, lateral nerves numerous, not merging into a definite marginal nerve except at lower part of leaf, margins entire, apex obtuse or broadly acute, base cuneate and decurrent on the petiole, petioles 4-8 mm long.  Flowering branches 10-20 cm long, leaves scattered along upper half, inflorescences axillary, umbellate to racemose, peduncles 1.5-3 cm long, pedicels ca. 1 cm long; sepals suborbicular, ca. 2 mm long, the surface black punctate, margins hyaline and ciliolate; corolla lobes pale lavender, lanceolate, conspicuously punctate.  Drupes red when immature, black at maturity, globose, ca. 5 mm in diameter, densely punctate" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 932-933, 1885).

Habitat/ecology:  Moist and wet forests and open areas.  "This shade-tolerant, evergreen tree grows rapidly, forming dense monotypic stands that prevent establishment of all other species.  The tree is probably not resistant to fire. The species is usually found in wet, lowland areas" in Hawai‘i (Smith, 1985; p. 185). In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in disturbed hala forest, mesic forest, and lower portions of wet forest, 5-550 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 932-933, 1885).  "Forms dense stands in pastures and disturbed forests"  (Motooka et al., 2003).  Moist valleys to 500 m in French Polynesia.  In the Northern Territory, Australia, "cultivated in gardens and has naturalised in the last 5-10 years.  Isolated, naturalised specimens exist in riparian vegetation within areas of dry rainforest associated with the monsoon belt of northern Australia" (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; pp. 25-26).

Propagation:  Frugivorous birds are the principal dispersal agents, attracted to the numerous red to blackish fruits.

Native range:  Asia (probably Sri Lanka).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 6) Voucher: Flynn 7099 (PTBG, BISH, US)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 395) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 6)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 6)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 88)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 6) Voucher: Flynn 6995 (PTBG, BISH, US)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 81932) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica Thunb.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1929) (voucher ID: BISH 163548) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica Thunb.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 664853) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia humilis Vahl
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 339) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 190) Vouchers cited: Moore 190, BRY 24856, BRY 25379
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 3393 (PAP), J. Florence 10344 (PAP) Naturalisée, Menace pour la biodiversité
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 492092) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica Thunb.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1990) (voucher ID: BISH 642098) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica Thunb.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 190) Voucher cited: Fosberg & Stone 61301
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 2304 (PAP) Naturalisée. Menace pour la biodiversité.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 493612) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica Thunb.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 932-933)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 932-933)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 932-933) East Maui
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Meidell, J. Scott/Oppenheimer, H. L./Bartlett, R. T. (1998) (p. 7) West Maui. Voucher cited: Meidell & Oppenheimer 203 (BISH) A serious naturalized pest in lowland mesic and wet forests.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 932-933)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 5) Voucher: Flynn 6930 (PTBG, US, SAMOA)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1921) (voucher ID: BISH 163547) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica Thunb.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1973) (voucher ID: BISH 417491) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica Thunb.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 325) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 44704) Taxon name on voucher: Ardisia elliptica

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (pp. 25-26)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (pp. 25-26)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 117) Ornamental.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 15) Endangered
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Roadsides, scrub, near villages, edges of fields, along coasts.
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced cultivated	Comité français de l'Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature en France (2013)
Maldives Maldive Islands	Maldive Islands		Fosberg, F. R. (1957) (p. 29)
Mascarene Islands Mascarene Islands (Mauritius, La Reunion, Rodrigues)	Mascarene Islands	introduced invasive	Weber, Ewald (2003) (p. 54)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced invasive	Kueffer, C./Mauremootoo, J. (2004) (pp. 7, 8)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced invasive	Weber, Ewald (2003) (p. 54)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	Francis, John K., ed. (2009)

Comments:  Widespread and probably beyond control in Vailima Reserve, Alaoa and other areas above Apia, Samoa (Space & Flynn, 2002).

Widespread throughout Rarotonga and present to a lesser extent on Mangaia, Cook Islands. There are scattered populations on Aitutaki and Ma‘uke as well (Space & Flynn, 2002).

Naturalized in the Northern Territory, Australia.

On the State of Hawai‘i and French Polynesia noxious weed lists.

A serious invasive species in hardwood forests and abandoned agricultural land in southern Florida (US) (Randall et al., 1996).

Planting of this species is prohibited in Miami-Dade County, Florida (U.S.) (Hunsberger, 2001).

See also A. crenata.

Control: 

Physical: Hand-pull seedlings.

Chemical: "In areas with a dense groundcover of seedlings, a broadcast spray of a glyphosate herbicide is effective, but be careful to avoid damaging desirable plants.  Mature specimens should be treated with a basal application of a triclopyhr herbicide mixed with an oil diluent" (Randall et al., 1996; p. 149).

"Susceptible to 2,4-D. Triclopyr, dicamba and metsulfuron not as effective. Spraying regrowth after mowing with 2,4-D very effective. Tebuthiuron at 2 lb/acre effective. Kline and Duquesnel reported good control with triclopyr ester at 10% in diesel applied to basal bark. Glyphosate foliar and triclopyr basal bark effective. Susceptible to very-low volume basal bark applications of Pathfinder II®, a ready-to-use formulation of triclopyr"  (Motooka et al., 2003).