Cyanotis cristata D. Don, Commelinaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 5 (Go to the risk assessment).

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: si kong cao

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Stems tufted, lower part creeping, to about 50 cm tall; leaves rather broadly ovate, acute, sessile and somewhat clasping the stem at base, up to about 6 cm long and 2 cm wide, the sheaths and blades marginally pubescent; inflorescence short, borne from a series of crescent-shaped closely overlapping bracts with ciliate margins; flowers blue; stamens 6, all functional, the filaments pubescent; ovary 3-celled, cells usually 2-seeded"  (Stone, 1970; pp. 104-105).

"Herbs annual; roots fibrous. Stems creeping, often branched, 10-35 cm. Leaves all cauline; leaf blade oblong, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, 2-8 x 0.8-2 cm, abaxially glabrous or sparsely arachnoid. Cincinni often solitary, terminal or also axillary if 2 together; peduncle absent or to 9 cm; bracts 1-1.5 cm. Sepals connate at base, linear-lanceolate or oblanceolate, ca. 5 mm, abaxially hirsute along midvein and at margin. Petals blue or purple, 4-5 mm. Filaments blue lanate. Capsule columnar, trigonous, ca. 2.5 mm, hirsutulous at apex. Seeds gray-brown, pitted"  (Flora of China online).

Habitat/ecology:  In China, "by streams in ravines or open humid places; near sea level to 2000 m"  (Flora of China online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam  (Flora of China online).

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	possibly introduced	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (pp. 104-105)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 98)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (p. 198) In old clearings, open places along streams, about cliffs, etc., at low and medium altitudes.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) By streams in ravines or open humid places; near sea level to 2000 m. W. Guangdong (Xinxing Xian), Guangxi, S.W. Guizhou, Hainan, Yunnan.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	uncertain if introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 30) Weed of uncertain origin
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Cyanotis cristata, please let us know.