Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

  [   PIER species lists  ]   [   PIER home  ]

Cestrum parqui
L'H‚r., Solanaceae
Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES


Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

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

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Chilean cestrum, green cestrum, green poison-berry, iodine-bush, willow-leaved jessamine

Spanish: hediondilla, palqui, parqui

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrub, generally 1-3 m high.  Petiole to 1 cm long.  Lamina 2-12-(14) X 0.5-3 cm, lanceolate to narrow-ovate, minutely puberulent when young, otherwise glabrous; base attenuate or cuneate; apex acute to short-acuminate.  Inflorescence paniculate, dense; branches more or less puberulent; flowers subsessile or with pedicels to 7 mm long, fragrant nocturnally.  Calyx 3-6 mm long; lobes 1 mm long, more or less triangular, obtuse to subacute; margins shortly villous.  Corolla 1.5-2.3 cm long, greenish yellow or pale brownish yellow; tube narrow-salverform, widening slightly above; lobes 3.5-6 mm long, narrow-triangular, patent, shortly villous inside and on margins, acute or short-acuminate.  Fruit 7-10 X 6-8 mm, broad-ovoid to broad-ellipsoid, glossy, black or purplish black"  (Webb et al, 1988; pp. 1222-1223).

"Similar to Cestrum diurnum, but glabrous; leaves narrowly lanceolate, to 5 in. long; flowers profuse in axillary and terminal clusters, fragrant at night, calyx 5-toothed, to 1/4 in. long, corolla greenish-white to greenish-yellow or brownish, to 7/8 in. long; fruit black"  (Bailey and Bailey, 1976; p. 253).

Habitat/ecology:  Favors fertile, well-drained soils.  "In some areas of south-east Queensland, it has formed reasonably dense infestations along degraded creek-banks, particularly in areas grazed and damaged by cattle."  (Csurhes and Edwards, 1998; p. 150).  "In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Low altitude, interior valleys; coastal mountains, 500-2000 m; coastal areas, 0-500 m.  Humid areas, with almost constant rainfall, short dry periods are possible (generally not longer than 1 month); somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months, precipitations of 400-800 mm. are concentrated in winter.  Fully exposed to the sun, level areas or slopes facing north"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seeds, spread by birds and flood water (Csurhes and Edwards, 1998; p. 150).

Native range:  Southern South America; cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island) introduced
Skottsberg, Carl (1953) (p. 223)
Escaped from gardens.
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island) introduced
invasive
Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island) introduced
invasive
Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 552)
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island) introduced
Skottsberg, Carl (1953) (p. 223)
Escaped from gardens.
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island) introduced
invasive
Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands)
Juan Fernández Islands
Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island) introduced
invasive
Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 552)
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
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 150)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland introduced
invasive
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 150)
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand (country) introduced
invasive
cultivated
Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 1222)
"Occasional near gardens in scrub, waste places, stream banks, cultivation escape".
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Chile (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
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)
United States (other states) introduced
invasive
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 150)

Control:  "Stems resprout. Reseeds into bared areas. Exclude stock at all times. Replant bared sites to minimise regrowth. Check for seedlings 6-monthly. 

Physical:  Pull out small plants (all year round), leave to Leave on site to rot down.

Chemical:  1. Cut down and paint stump (all year round): Tordon Brushkiller (100ml/L) or triclopyr 600 EC (100ml/L) or Yates Hydrocotyle Killer (500ml/L).  2.3. Spray (spring-summer): triclopyr 600 EC (30ml/10L) or Yates Hydrocotyle Killer (15ml/L)"  (Weedbusters New Zealand).


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

  [   PIER species lists  ]   [   PIER home  ]

This page was created on 1 JAN 1999 and was last updated on 10 MAR 2013.