Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Hoya australis
R.Br. ex Traill, Apocynaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 8 (Go to the risk assessment).

Other Latin names:  Hoya dalrympliana F. Muell.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Samoan waxplant, star flower, wax flower

Fijian: mbitambita, mbitimbiti, mbitumbitu, mbulimbuli sewaro, nambetembete, nambetiambete, ndraumbimbi, wa mbi, wa mbi levu, wa mbimbi, wa tambua

Maori (Cook Islands): tiare ‘aka‘ipo‘ipo

Samoan: ‘ōlive vao, fue selelā, lau ‘ōlive, lau māfiafia, suni vao

Tongan: lau matolu

Tongarevan (spoken): tiale akāu

Tongarevan (written): tiale akāu

Wallisian: sinu

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Succulent vine to ± shrubby; stems twining or clambering; sap milky.  Leaf petioles to 0.8 inches long; blades broadly elliptic to ± circular, to 6 x 4.75 inches, dark green, base rounded to shallowly cordate.  Inflorescence up to 50-flowered, ± hemispherical.  Flowers fragrant, 0.4-1 inch in diameter, corolla flat to shallowly bowl-shaped, white to cream, with pink, red, or purple under corona, sparsely velvety-hairy inside; corona cup-shaped, cream to white.  Fruit spindle-shaped, 3.5-5 inches long, 0.4-0.6 inches in diameter.  Seeds ca 0.25 inches long, tan"  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 142).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "found at elevations from near sea level (and there often locally frequent) to about 1,200 m, occurring in beach thickets, on sea cliffs and rocky shores, on edges of mangrove swamps, and inland in open or dense forest"  (Smith, 1988; pp. 118-119).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Northeastern Australia eastward to Tonga and Samoa, sometimes cultivated within this range as well as elsewhere"  (Smith, 1988; p. 119).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
American Samoa
American Samoa Islands
American Samoa Islands native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
American Samoa
Manu‘a Islands
Ofu Island native
Ragone, Diane/Lorence, David H. (2003) (p. 51)
American Samoa
Manu‘a Islands
Olosega Island native
Ragone, Diane/Lorence, David H. (2003) (p. 51)
American Samoa
Manu‘a Islands
Ta‘u Island native
Ragone, Diane/Lorence, David H. (2003) (p. 51)
American Samoa
Tutuila Islands
Aunu‘u Island   Whistler, W. A. (1979) (p. 267)
American Samoa
Tutuila Islands
Tutuila Island   Whistler, W. A. (1979) (p. 267)
Cook Islands
Northern Cook Islands
Penrhyn (Tongareva) Island introduced
cultivated
McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands
‘Atiu Island introduced
cultivated
McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands
Ma‘uke Island introduced
cultivated
McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands
Rarotonga Island introduced
cultivated
McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Fulanga Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Voucher cited: Smith 1214
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Kandavu Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Voucher cited: Smith 4
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Ono Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Voucher cited: DA 14950
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Ovalau Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Voucher cited: Seemann 319
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Sovu Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Voucher cited: Bryan 590
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Taveuni Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Vouchers cited: Gillespie 4747, Smith 8189
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Vanua Levu Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Vouchers cited: DA 12955, Smith 6800
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Vanua Mbalavu Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Voucher cited: Smith 1460
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Viti Levu Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Vouchers cited: Greenwood 81, im Thurn 296, Gillespie 4096.1, Smith 8975, DA 8644, Gillespie 2523, Gibbs 765, Weiner 147, Seemann 319, Vaughan 3319
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Yasawas Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Voucher cited: St. John 18164
French Polynesia
Marquesas Islands
Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island introduced
cultivated
Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island introduced
cultivated
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013)
Voucher cited: J. Florence 4669 (PAP)
Cultivée. Assez rare à Tahiti.
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Lorence, David/Flynn, Tim (1999) (pp. 3-4)
East Maui. Vouchers cited: D. Lorence, T. Flynn, D. Ragone & J. Wiseman 8325 (BISH, PTBG, MO, US), Flynn & Lewis 2410 (PTBG)
Marshall Islands
Ratak Chain
Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll introduced
cultivated
Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 68)
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île Grande Terre introduced
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 20)
Voucher cited: MacKee 40077
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) native
Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 142)
Samoa
Western Samoa Islands
Upolu Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Voucher cited: Reinecke 220 (BISH)
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands native
Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 82)
Tonga
Ha‘apai Group
Kao Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 7)
Vouchers cited: Yuncker 15881, Yuncker 15973
Tonga
Ha‘apai Group
Tofua Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 7)
Vouchers cited: Hotta 4366, Hotta 4424, Scarth-Johnson 143, Buelow 546, Buelow 585
Tonga
Tongatapu Group
‘Eua Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 7)
Vouchers cited: Lister n.s., McKern 67, Parks 16202, Hurlimann 180, Yuncker 15169, Yuncker 15170, Sykes 234, Wrioght 7646, Whistler 7363
Tonga
Tongatapu Group
Tongatapu Island native
Smith, Albert C. (1988) (p. 119)
Voucher cited: US Expl. Exped. 78372 (US)
Tonga
Tongatapu Group
Tongatapu Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 7)
Vouchers cited: U.S. Expl. Exped., Setchell & Parks 15284, Setchell & Parks 15467, Hurlimann 63, Yuncker 15169, Yuncker 15271, Hotta 4021, Hotta 4274, Hotta 4283, Hotta 4518, Hotta 5662, Soakai 1013, Weiner T46
Tonga
Vava‘u Group
Late Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 7)
Vouchers cited: Hotta 4816, Buelow & Sykes 98
Tonga
Vava‘u Group
Niuafo‘ou Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 7)
Vouchers cited: Buelow 2071, Buelow 2106, Whistler 6325
Tonga
Vava‘u Group
Niuatoputapu Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 7)
Vouchers cited: Kirch 177 (n.s.), Buelow 1385
Tonga
Vava‘u Group
Tafahi Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 7)
Voucher cited: horlimann 486
Tonga
Vava‘u Group
Vava‘u Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 7)
Vouchers cited: Crosby 110, Hotta 4996, Buelow 1449
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Vanuatu (Republic of) native
Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 142)
Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Australia
Australia (continental)
New South Wales native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Northern Territory native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Hoya australis, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 25 OCT 2010 and was last updated on 30 DEC 2011.