Gmelina arborea Roxb., Verbenaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk (based on second screen), score: 2 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: yun nan shi zi

English: Malay bush-beech, gmelina, white beech, white teak

Fijian: yemane

Other: yemane

Spanish: melina

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Large, rapidly growing tree, the branchlets yellowish-tomentose; leaves petiolate, the petioles 5-15 cm. long, puberulent to glabrous, the leaf blades broadly ovate, 10-25 x 7.5-18 cm., cordate or truncate at base, long-acuminate at apex, entire at margin (but sometimes toothed or lobed on young plants), tomentose or at length glabrous above, densely and persistently tomentellous beneath with stellate hairs, glanduliferous just above petiole, the lateral nerves 5-10 per side; inflorescences fulvous-tomentose throughout, the bracts linear to linear-lanceolate; calyx broadly campanulate, about 5 mm. long, 5-toothed; corolla showy, yellow to reddish or brownish, 25-40 mm. long, the tube densely pubescent without; stamens 4, exserted, one pair sometimes sterile; drupes ovoid to obovoid-pyriform, 20-25 mm. long, orange-yellow when mature, aromatic, the endocarp usually 2-celled and 2-seeded (or by abortion 1-seeded), or sometimes 3-celled and 3 seeded"  (Smith, 1991; pp. 203-205).

Habitat/ecology:  "Estimated to range from Tropical Very Dry to Wet through Subtropical Very Dry to Wet Forest Life Zones, gmelina is reported or estimated to tolerate annual precipitation of 7 to 45 dm, annual temperature of 20 to 26"C, and pH of 6 to 8. It can tolerate a 6–7-month dry season. Grows on many soils, acidic laterites to calcareous loams, doing poorly on thin or poor soils with hardpan, dry sands, or heavily leached acidic soils, well-drained basic alluviums." (Purdue NewCROP)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical moist forests from India, Burma, and Sri Lanka to southern China. Widely introduced as a forestry tree or for ornament and shade.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 11)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1991) (voucher ID: BISH 665313) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina arborea Roxb.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Sykes, Bill (year unknown)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1991) (voucher ID: BISH 665325) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina arborea Roxb.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 203, 205)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Taylor, M./McGregor, A./Dawson, B. (2016) (p. 417) "The species [PIER ed.: Gmelina arborea] is apparently well adapted to seasonally dry and intermediate rainfall zones (1,700-2,000 mm with short 2-3 months dry season) such as the northern and western parts of Viti Levu, Fiji where it has become invasive in secondary and disturbed forest." (Vulnerability of Pacific Island agriculture and forestry to climate change)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 59)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimens) Vouchers cited: Flynn 3108 (BISH 536125, BISH 536124)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimens) East Maui. Vouchers cited: Flynn 3502 (BISH 514190), Lorence 7682 (BISH 649270)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher cited: Rock 253 (BISH 71919)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 139) Voucher cited: Gay in MacKee 42362
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 78)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. Field notes.) Single tree.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Open forests along roadsides and near farm houses; below 1500 m. S. Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (pp. 230-231) Roadside trees.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Sabah, Selangor
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 45) Cultivated only
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist 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:  Small area naturalized on ‘Atiu, Cook Islands (Space & Flynn, 2002).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Gmelina arborea, please let us know.