Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pavon) Oken, Boraginaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Cerdana alliodora Ruiz & Pav.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Ecuador laurel, Spanish elm, cypre, laurel, salmwood

French: bois de Chypre, pardillo

Samoan: kotia

Spanish: ajo ajo, alatrique, canalete, capá, laurel, laurel blanco, laurel negro

Tongan: kōtia

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees to 25 m. high with trunks to 50 cm. in diameter, sometimes with small buttresses, the bark grayish to dark brown, the branchlets densely or finely stellate-pubescent; leaves on petioles 1-3 cm. long, the blades usually 7-15 cm. long but may attain 25 cm., oblong to elliptic, oblong lanceolate, or elliptic-obovate, acute or acuminate, usually attenuate to base, sometimes obtuse, entire, green and glabrate on upper surface, pale beneath and usually densely and minutely stellate-tomentulose; inflorescences paniculate, the panicles sometimes as much as 30 cm. broad, usually dense with numerous flowers, the flowers sessile, glomerate; calyx tubular, 4-7 mm. long, stellate-tomentulose, conspicuously 10-costate, every other rib prolonged into a short tooth; corolla marcescent, white, at least twice as long as the calyx, glabrous outside, the lobes oblong-spatulate, broadly rounded or truncate at the apex; stamens equaling or slightly exceeding the corolla, the filaments inserted in throat of tube, dilated and pubescent at base, just above point of insertion; ovary elongated, narrowly ovoid; style included or only shortly exserted, about as long as the ovary; mature fruits ellipsoidal, acute (crowned by the persistent style base), thin-walled and dry, containing one seed"  (Standley & Williams, 1970; 24(9/1-2), pp. 118-119).

"Tree to 12 m high (to 20 m where indigenous), cultivated at low elevation; petioles 1-3 cm long; leaf blades oblong or lanceolate to elliptic, 10-20 x 3-8 cm, stellate-pilose or glabrate on both surfaces; inflorescences loosely branched, 10-30 cm across; calyx cylindric, 4-6 mm long, densely stellate-tomentose, with 10 prominent ribs; corolla white, drying brown, marcescent, the lobes 5-7 mm long; fruit cylindric, about 5 mm long, enveloped by the persistent corolla and calyx tube." (Smith, 1991; p. 154).

Habitat/ecology:  Lowland to highland forests (0-1500 m) in its native habitat (Berry et al., 1997; p. 532).  In Guatemala (native), "usually in dry forests or thickets but sometimes in wet, mixed forest or along roadsides, sea level to 1,300 m"  (Standley & Williams, 1970; 24(9/1-2), pp. 118-119).

Propagation:  Wind-dispersed seeds.

Native range:  Mexico, Central America, West Indies, northern and western South America; also cultivated (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) Observed in survey, no herbarium record.
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Falanruw, Marjorie (1999) (pp. 4, 8) In species trial plot.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 154) Voucher cited: DA 16426
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 34226) Taxon name on voucher: Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pavon) Oken
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Lau, Alex/Frohlich, Danielle (2012) (pp. 10-11) Voucher cited: OED 2009021001 (BISH)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 6)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 6)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 59)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 6)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 6)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 6)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Erromango Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lau, Alex/Frohlich, Danielle (2012) (pp. 10-11)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Maéwo Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lau, Alex/Frohlich, Danielle (2012) (pp. 10-11)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Malakula (Malekula) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 628720) Taxon name on voucher: Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pavon) Oken
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Malakula (Malekula) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 1002380) Taxon name on voucher: Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pavon) Oken
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 106)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Tolfts, Andrew (1997)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)	introduced invasive cultivated	Shine, C./Reaser, J. K./Gutierrez, A. T., eds. (2003) (p. 179)

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)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	Standley, Paul C./Williams, Louis O. (1970) (pp. 118-119)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (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)
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
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Comments:  Introduced as a forestry tree to Vanuatu, it is now invading adjacent land and shows every sign of becoming a serious problem (Tolfts, 1997).

Quite invasive in Tonga, particularly on the island of ‘Eua where it was introduced as a timber tree (Space & Flynn, 2001).

Introduced as a possible timber tree to Yap and possibly other islands in Micronesia (Space & Falanruw, 1999).

Being raised in the forestry watershed nursery in Vailima, Upolu, Samoa and naturalized specimens seen there as well as invading from forest plantings (Space & Flynn, 2002).

Control:  Difficult, as plants sprout readily. Grubbing or treatment with herbicides is probably necessary.