Cardiospermum halicacabum L., Sapindaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 12 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: balloon vine, heart pea, heartseed, love-in-a-puff, winter-cherry

Fijian: vo niu, wa niu

Hawaiian: haleakai‘a, ‘inalua, pōhuehue uka, pōniu

Tahitian: vinivinio

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Delicate, branching, herbaceous climber with trifoliolate leaves and tendrils in pairs on the inflorescences; leaflets coarsely toothed and lobed; terminal leaflet to about 4 cm long; flowers minute, greenish white, about 3 mm wide; sepals 4; petals 4; stamens 4 longer, 4 shorter; fruit inflated, like a three-sided balloon, pendent, about 1-1.4 cm long, eventually dehiscent; seeds black with a pale heart-shaped hilum"  (Stone, 1970; p. 395).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "probably naturalized, occurring in low elevation disturbed sites"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1226).  In Fiji, "this widespread species occurs from near sea level to about 200 m as a scrambling, creeping, or climbing vine, occasional in thickets and grassy areas and also as a weed of cultivation in canefields and coconut plantations"  (Smith, 1985; pp. 582-583). In New Caledonia, "citte espèce, d'origine américaine, pourrait être d'introduction ancienne" (MacKee, 1994; p. 126). Arid lowlands in the Galápagos Islands (McMullen, 1999; p. 305).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  North and tropical America.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 152)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 593273) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1966) (voucher ID: BISH 660617) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 152)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1965) (voucher ID: BISH 595924) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 660616) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 152)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1930) (voucher ID: BISH 179227) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1952) (voucher ID: BISH 179228) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Miti‘aro Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 97)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1929) (voucher ID: BISH 179239) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Mango Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 582-583) Native? Voucher cited: Bryan 562
Fiji Fiji Islands	Mango Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1924) (voucher ID: BISH 179230) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Mango Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1924) (voucher ID: BISH 179231) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Matuku Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 582-583) Native? Voucher cited: Moseley s. n.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ngau Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 582-583) Native? Voucher cited: Milne 151
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 582-583) Native? Voucher cited: Milne 243
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 582-583) Native? Voucher cited: DA 11515
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1958) (voucher ID: BISH 15314) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 582-583) Native? Vouchers cited: Greenwood 69, Greenwood 69A, DA 7870, DA 11858 (L.6419), Barclay 3464
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1958) (voucher ID: BISH 15315) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Wakaya Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 582-583) Native? Voucher cited: Tothill 82
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	native	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hatuta'a (Hatutu) Island	native	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	native	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Marquesas Islands	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 259)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Mohotani (Mohotane, Mohotane) Island	native	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	native	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1987) (voucher ID: BISH 541066) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Tahuata (Tuhuata) Island	native	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island	native	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 102-105)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Mopelia (Mapetia, Maupiha‘a, Maupihoa, Mopiha‘a) Atoll	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Sachet, M.-H. (1983) (p. 30) Voucher cited: Sachet 943 (US)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 259) Vouchers cited: Setchell & Parks 34, Fosberg 62920, Florence 9266, BRY 25999
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 493087) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 152)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	uncertain if native invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1226)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	uncertain if native invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1226)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	uncertain if native invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1226)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	uncertain if native invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1226)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ni‘ihau Island	uncertain if native invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1226)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	uncertain if native invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1226)
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Lifou	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 126) Voucher cited: Däniker 2584a (Z)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Maré	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 126) Vouchers cited: Däniker 2584 (Z), MacKee 25467
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 126) Vouchers cited: Vieillard 277, Pancher s.n., Delacour s.n., Melle. Kiener 8 s.loc., Blanchon 1366 (NOU), MacKee 11931, MacKee 12523, Déméné in MacKee 17643, Aymard in MacKee 40452, Toutain 3470 (NOU)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 126) Voucher cited: Germain s.n.
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 186) Voucher cited: CHR 168929
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced abo. intro.	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 35)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 49)
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. (2009)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island	introduced	St. John, H. (1987) (p. 40)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 89)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 55)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Kotu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 640413) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 51)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Niuatoputapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 173) Voucher cited: Hürlimann 626
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 65)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 69) Vouchers cited: Harvey s.n., Soakai 798
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 173) Cited: Harvey, Crosby.
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Burkill, I. H. (1900) (p. 32)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 89)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced invasive	Morat, Ph./Veillon, J.-M. (1985) Morat & Veillon, 1985, cited in Meyer, 2007
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis and Futuna Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 35)

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)	Australia (continental)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 65)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

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	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 108)
Maldives Maldive Islands	Malè Atoll		Fosberg, F. R. (1957) (p. 25)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 65)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 60) Voucher cited: Robertson 2468

Comments:  A minor invasive species in Micronesia. Invasive in Cook and Solomon Islands (Waterhouse, 1997).

Additional information:
Additional online information about Cardiospermum halicacabum is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Cardiospermum halicacabum as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Cardiospermum halicacabum may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1924. Voucher specimen #BISH 179230 (Bryan Jr, E.H. 562).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1924. Voucher specimen #BISH 179231 (Bryan Jr, E.H. 562).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1929. Voucher specimen #BISH 179239 (Wilder, G.P. 739).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1930. Voucher specimen #BISH 179227 (Kanehira, R. 1055).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1946. Voucher specimen #BISH 660616 (Hosaka, E.Y. 2927).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1952. Voucher specimen #BISH 179228 (Kondo, Y. 51).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1958. Voucher specimen #BISH 15314 (Kuruvoli, F. 11515).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1958. Voucher specimen #BISH 15315 (Delai, F. 11858).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1965. Voucher specimen #BISH 595924 (Stone, B.C.M. 5234).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1966. Voucher specimen #BISH 660617 (Evans, M. 1960).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1982. Voucher specimen #BISH 493087 (Florence, J. 2278).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1982. Voucher specimen #BISH 593273 (Herbst, D.R. 6702).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1982. Voucher specimen #BISH 640413 (G.Buelow 3242).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1987. Voucher specimen #BISH 541066 (Florence, J. 8495).

Burkill, I. H. 1900. The flora of Vavau, one of the Tonga Islands, with a short account of its vegetation by Charles Steele Crosby. Lin. Jour. Bot. 35:20-65.

Florence, J. 2004. Flore de la Polynésie française, Vol. 2. Paris. IRE Editions, Publications Scientifiques, Collection Faune et Flore Tropicales 41. 503 pp.

Fosberg, F. R. 1957. The Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 58. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 37 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

Kato, Hidetoshi. 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Personal communication.

Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. 2008. Flora of the Marquesas Islands. National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian Institution. Online database.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McMullen, C. K. 1999. Flowering plants of the Galápagos. Comstock Pub. Assoc., Ithaca, N.Y. 370 p.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2007. Rapport de mission sur l'Ile d'Uvea (Wallis & Futuna) du 6 au 17 Novembre 2007: Inventaire preliminaire de la flore vasculaire secondaire [unpublished report]. Délégation à la Recherche, Ministère de l'Education, l'Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche, B.P. 20981 Papeete, Tahiti, Polynésie française. 39 pp.

Morat, Ph./Veillon, J.-M. 1985. Contribution à la connaissance de la végétation et de la flore de Wallis & Futuna. Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat., Paris, 4e sér., 7, section B. Adansonia 3 : 259-329.

Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. 1983. Vegetation of Frégate Island, Seychelles. In: Sachet, M. H., D. R. Stoddart, and F. R. Fosberg. Floristics and ecology of Western Indian Ocean islands. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 273. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 253 pp.

Sachet, M.-H. 1983. Natural history of Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Reserch Bulletin 274. 37 pp.

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2001. Report to the Kingdom of Tonga on invasive plant species of environmental concern.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 78 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of the Cook Islands on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 146 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate. 2004. Report to the Government of Niue and the United Nations Development Programme: Invasive plant species on Niue following Cyclone Heta. UNDP NIU/98/G31 - Niue Enabling Activity. 80 pp.

St. John, H. 1987. An account of the flora of Pitcairn Island with new Pandanus species. Honolulu, 65 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Swarbrick, J. T. 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: a report to Parks Australia. 101 pp. plus appendix.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2009. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Waterhouse, D. F. 1997. The major invertebrate pests and weeds of agriculture and plantation forestry in the Southern and Western Pacific. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra. 93 pp.

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flora of Tonga [unpublished checklist]. 107 pp.

Wiggins, I. L./Porter, D. M. 1971. Flora of the Galapágos Islands. Stanford University Press. 998 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.