Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Aristolochia elegans
Mast., Aristolochiaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 13 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Aristolochia littoralis auct.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Dutchman's pipe, calico flower, elegant Dutchman's pipe

Maori (Cook Islands): mokorā

Spanish: patito

Tongan: fue paipa holani

Habit:  vine

Description:  Climber to 3 m; "leaf blade usually broader than long, somewhat cordate deltoid, rounded; flower greenish, the utricle inflated, the upper part yellow and purple, maculate, about 7 cm long." (Stone, 1970)

"Vigorous lianas. Leaves green on upper surface, lower surface glaucous, cordate-reniform, 7-9 cm long, 6-10 cm wide, pseudostipules ariculate, amplexicaul. Flowers solitary in the leaf axils, greenish yellow and dark blackish purple, the tube bent, ca 3 cm long, the limb unlobed, disk-shaped, ca 10 cm in diameter, abruptly spreading from the tube; gynostemium 8 mm high, 5 mm wide. Capsules cylindrical, 4.5 cm long, 2.5 cm in diameter. Seeds flat, ca 6 mm long" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 237-238).

See also Remarkable plants of Vanuatu. p. 168.

Habitat/ecology:  Prefers fertile, moist soils (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 95). In Hawai‘i, "cultivated, occasionally escaping, and now sparingly naturalized in the Pearl Harbor area" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 237-238). In New Caledonia, "liane peu cultivée mais largement naturalisée; localement abondante dans des ravins boisés sur calcaires dans le Nord-Ouest" (MacKee, 1994; p. 19).

Propagation:  Seed or cuttings.

Native range:  South America, "cultivated and naturalized elsewhere in tropics" (GRIN).

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
Mangaia Island introduced
invasive
Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 84)
Voucher: Flynn 7040 (PTBG, BISH, US)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands
Mangaia Island   National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 364)
Taxon name on voucher: Aristolochia littoralis
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands
Rarotonga Island introduced
cultivated
McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Santa Cruz Group
Santa Cruz Island introduced
cultivated
Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Weno (Moen) Island introduced
cultivated
Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Denslow, Julie S./Nelson, Duane/Mazawa, Thomas R. (2000) (p. 25)
Species not confirmed.
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Viti Levu Island introduced
cultivated
Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 55-56)
Voucher cited: DA 16727
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Viti Levu Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 33717)
Taxon name on voucher: Aristolochia littoralis Parodi
French Polynesia
Gambier Islands
Mangareva (Gambier) Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Florence, J. (2004) (p. 84)
Aristolochia elegans M.T. Masters
French Polynesia
Gambier Islands
Mangareva (Gambier) Island introduced
cultivated
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013)
Cultivée
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Taha‘a Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 14)
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Florence, J. (2004) (p. 84)
Aristolochia elegans M.T. Masters
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island introduced
cultivated
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013)
Cultivée
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1930) (voucher ID: BISH 36461)
Taxon name on voucher: Aristolochia elegans
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island introduced
cultivated
Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 262)
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Voucher cited: Merrill 79
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Hawai‘i (Big) Island   Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1933) (voucher ID: BISH 73044)
Taxon name on voucher: Aristolochia littoralis Parodi
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Kaua‘i Island introduced
invasive
Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2000) (p. 10)
Voucher cited: C. Imdada, W. Char & C. Morden 99-5 (BISH)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island introduced
invasive
Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2003) (p. 25)
East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Martz 001121-3 (BISH)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Oppenheimer, Hank (2007) (p. 19)
West Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer, Duvall & Sherrill H120651 (PTBG)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
O‘ahu Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 237-238)
Sparingly naturalized.
New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Islands introduced
invasive
Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 99)
As A. elegans
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île Grande Terre introduced
invasive
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 19)
Vouchers cited: Däniker 2830 (Z), Schmid 769, MacKee 16066, MacKee 16974, MacKee 22377, MacKee 34946
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île Nou introduced
invasive
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 19)
Voucher cited: Suprin in MacKee 42389
Niue
Niue
Niue Island introduced
cultivated
Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 48)
Voucher cited: CHR 168880
Niue
Niue
Niue Island introduced
cultivated
Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 50)
Vouchers cited: Yuncker 9740 (BISH), Yuncker 10200 (BISH)
Papua New Guinea
Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago introduced
invasive
cultivated
Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 160)
Here and there wild near settlements.
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands introduced
cultivated
Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 119)
Cultivated only.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands introduced
cultivated
Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 48)
Tonga
Tongatapu Group
‘Eua Island introduced
invasive
Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 58)
Tonga
Tongatapu Group
‘Eua Island introduced
invasive
Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 106)
Voucher cited: Yuncker 15616
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Tanna Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 432673)
Taxon name on voucher: Aristolochia littoralis Parodi
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Tanna Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1980) (voucher ID: BISH 618519)
Taxon name on voucher: Aristolochia littoralis Parodi
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Vanuatu (Republic of) introduced
Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 168)
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)
New South Wales introduced
invasive
cultivated
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 95)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland introduced
invasive
cultivated
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 95)
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore (Republic of) introduced
cultivated
Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 15)
Cultivated only
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Colombia native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Ecuador (Republic of) (continental) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Perú (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
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands)
Christmas Island Group
Christmas Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 104)
Naturalized
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
U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Comments:  Reported to be moderately invasive in New Caledonia (Meyer, 2000; p. 99).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Aristolochia elegans, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 1 JAN 1991 and was last updated on 20 MAY 2018.