Clusia rosea Jacq., Clusiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Scotch attorney, autograph tree, balsam-apple, copey, pitch apple, signature tree

Spanish: copey, cupey

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Terrestrial or epiphytic trees or shrubs 7-20 m tall, bark smooth.  Leaves thick and coriaceous, obovate, 8-16 cm long, 3.5-14 cm wide, lateral veins arising at an 45 degree angle or less from midrib, petioles 1-2 cm long with a margined pit on upper side near base.  Flowers 1-3 in axillary or pseudoterminal cymes, bracteoles 2-4; sepals 4-6, 1-2 cm long, persistent; petals 6-8, white or pink, broadly obovate to suborbicular, 3-4 cm long; staminate flowers with stamens in several whorls, connate at base into a ring, inner stamens connate into a solid resinous mass; pistillate flowers with staminodes connate into a cup, ovary globose, stigmas 6-9, sessile.  Capsules greenish brown, somewhat fleshy, globose, 5-8 cm in diameter.  Seeds with a dark red, thin, fleshy aril"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 542).

Habitat/ecology:  Usually begins life on another plant.  After the roots reach the ground, the copey begins to strangle its host and eventually replaces it, like some species of Ficus  (Neal, 1965; p. 586). Dry and moist forests and open areas at elevations below 3000 feet in Hawai‘i.  "[C]ultivated as an ornamental, now being spread by birds, which eat the seeds, and becoming naturalized in low elevation, disturbed areas" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 542).

Propagation:  Seeds spread by birds.

Native range:  Florida (US) and West Indies, Mexico and Central America to northern South America; also cultivated and naturalized (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 48)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1980) (voucher ID: PTBG 18197) Taxon name on voucher: Clusia rosea
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 542-543)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 542-543)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank L./Bartlett, R. T. (2000) (pp. 3-4) Vouchers cited: (West Maui) Oppenheimer H89914 (BISH), Oppenheimer H89921 (BISH), Oppenheimer H89935 (BISH), Oppenheimer H99901 (BISH); (East Maui) Oppenheimer H89933 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wysong, Michael/Hughes, Guy/Wood, K. R. (2007) (pp. 3-4) Voucher cited: Wysong 759 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 542-543)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Daehler, Curtis C./Baker, Raymond F. (2006) (p. 12) Vouchers cited: Daehler 1101 (BISH), Daehler 1102 (HAW)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 82)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 27) 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)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
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)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Comments:  A problem species in Florida.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Clusia rosea, please let us know.