Emilia fosbergii Nicolson, Asteraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Flora's paintbrush, red sow thistle

Hawaiian: pualele

Tahitian: ma‘a rapiti, pualele

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Vegetatively similar to E. coccinea but the leaves more coarsely dentate. Heads cylindrical, ca. twice as long as wide, ca. 3/4 as long as corolla; involucral bracts 10-13, usually 9-14 mm long; florets ca. 50 per head, conspicuously longer than the involucral bracts by often as much as 2-5 mm, corollas brick red or rarely lilac, the lobes 1.1-1.5 (-2) mm long" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 312).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "a common weed of low elevation, dry, urban and disturbed habitats" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 312).  In Fiji, "rare from near sea level to 600 m on reed-covered hillsides or on edges of lowland forest" (Smith, 1991; p. 318).  In American Samoa, "occasional as a weed in waste places on Tutuila" (Whistler, 1988; p. 10).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Perhaps Central or East Africa (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 312).  "Probably indigenous in central or eastern Africa but widely established in the New World in the latter part of the nineteenth century centering in the US and the West Indies, and subsequently from Mexico to northern South America.  It was apparently introduced into Pacific areas in the early part of the present century" (Smith, 1991; p. 318).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 10)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 67)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 67)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Matuku Island	introduced	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 318) Voucher cited: Bryan 253A
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 318) Voucher cited: Smith 4334
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Tahuata (Tuhuata) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 76) Voucher cited: N. Kraus 1646, Fosberg 61105
French Polynesia Society Islands	Maupiti (Maurua) Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. (1987) (p. 68) Vouchers cited: Raynal 17866, Fosberg 64878 (US), Fosberg 64882 (US)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 76) Voucher cited: C. Cartier 104
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	University of California (2006) "Grows in disturbed and drier areas".
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 76) Vouchers cited: Fosberg & Sachet, BRY 26450, BRY 26702, BRY 26490, BRY 26687
French Polynesia Society Islands	Society Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 92)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 76) Voucher cited: Fosberg & Sachet 63411
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 76) Voucher cited: Florence et al. 9702
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tetiaroa Atoll	introduced invasive	Sachet, M.-H./Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 53) Voucher cited: Fosberg 63786 (US)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tupai (Tubai) Island	introduced invasive	Sachet, M.-H. (1983) (p. 24) Voucher cited: Sachet 1983 (US)
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Takapoto Atoll	introduced invasive	Sachet, M-H. (1983) (p. 39) Voucher cited: Sachet 2048 (US)
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Tuamotu Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 92)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 287)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 312)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 312)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 312)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 312)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 312)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 312)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ni‘ihau Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 312)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 312) Voucher cited: Garber 93 (BISH)
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 287)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 35) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 31186, Fosberg 48046
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R. (1955) (p. 21) Voucher cited: Fosberg 31186 (US)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 287)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 70) Rare or possibly extirpated.
Tuvalu Tuvalu (Ellis) Islands	Tuvalu Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 92)

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

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

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

References:

Fosberg, F. R. 1955. Northern Marshall Islands Expedition, 1951-1952. Land biota: vascular plants. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 39. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 22 pp.

Fosberg, F. R. 1997. Preliminary checklist of the flowering plants and ferns of the Society Islands. Ed. by David R. Stoddart. U. Cal. Berkeley.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. 1987. Flora of Maupiti, Society Islands. The Smithsonian Institution. Atoll Research Bulletin 294:1-70.

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

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.

Raulerson, L. 2006. Checklist of Plants of the Mariana Islands. University of Guam Herbarium Contribution 40:1-69. .

Sachet, M-H. 1983. Takapoto Atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago: terrestrial vegetation and flora. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 277. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 41 pp. + photos.

Sachet, M.-H. 1983. Botanique de l'ile de Tupai, Iles de la Societe. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 276. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 26 pp. + photos.

Sachet, M.-H./Fosberg, F. R. 1983. An ecological reconnaissance of Tetiaroa Atoll, Society Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 275. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 67 pp. + photos.

Smith, Albert C. 1991. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 5. 626 pp.

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

University of California. 2006. Moorea Digital Flora Project (online resource).

Vander Velde, Nancy. 2003. The vascular plants of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Atoll Research Bulletin No. 503:1-141.

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).

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./Steele, O. 1999. Botanical survey of the United States of America Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Islands. Prepared for Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the U. S. Army Environmental Center. 111 pp.