L., Martyniaceae |
Present on Pacific Islands? yes
Primarily a threat at high elevations? no
Common name(s): [more details]
Chinese: jiao hu ma |
English: devil's claw, iceplant, small-fruit devil's claw, tiger's-claw |
French: tête de mort |
Habit: herb
Description: "Herbs to 2 m tall, branched, viscid-pubescent. Leaves with petioles 10-17 cm long; blades ovate-orbicular, 8-15 x 7-16 cm, base cordate, apex rounded or acute, margin irregular, undulate to toothed, venation palmate from base, crispose glandular-hirsute below, glabrate, above. Inflorescence to 8 cm long; pedicels 1-2 cm long, bracts ovate, 1 cm long; calyx 1.5 cm long; corolla 3-5 cm long, white to pink or with purple and yellow blotches. Capsule 2-3.5 cm long, slightly compressed, hooked beak 3-5 mm long, viscid-pubescent; seeds compressed, 1 cm long, black, shiny, but striate and foveolate" (Howard, 1989; p. 339).
Habitat/ecology: "Disturbed areas such as stockyards, rubbish dumps, around buildings and roadsides. Invades disturbed ground where it prevents the regeneration of native species" (Smith, 2002; p. 63). "Damp or dry thickets, fields, hedgerows, and clarings, sea level to 2,400 m" (Standley et al., 1974).
In New Caledonia, "mauvaise herbe peu commun en cultures et pâturages" (MacKee, 1994; p. 100).
Propagation: "The seed remains inside the pod which attaches itself by its spines to vehicles, machinery, humans and animals" (Smith, 2002; p. 63).
Native range: West Indies, Mexico, Central America; also cultivated and widely naturalized in the tropics (GRIN).
Presence:
Pacific | |||
Country/Terr./St. & Island group |
Location |
Cited status &
Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction? |
Reference &
Comments |
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago |
Île Grande Terre |
introduced
invasive |
Tassin, Jacques (2005) |
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago |
Île Grande Terre |
introduced
invasive |
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 100)
Vouchers cited: Franc 803, Schmid 3418, Thomas in MacKee 38695 |
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 |
introduced
invasive cultivated |
National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013)
Garden escape, rarely naturalized. |
Australia
Australia (continental) |
Northern Territory |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 63) |
Australia
Australia (continental) |
Queensland |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 63) |
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
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
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) |
China
China |
China (People's Republic of) |
introduced
invasive |
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Forests, roadsides; 500-1500 m. S Yunnan |
Indonesia
Indonesia |
Indonesia (Republic of) |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 63) |
Malaysia
Malaysia |
Malaysia (country of) |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 63) |
Mexico
Mexico |
Mexico (United Mexican States) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Comments: "A declared noxious weed in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The clawed fruits cause injury and discomfort to animals having been known to work their way into soft body parts." (Smith, 2002; p. 63).
Control: If you know of control methods for Martynia annua, please let us know.