Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Melochia corchorifolia
D. Don, Malvaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 10 (Go to the risk assessment).

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: ma song zi

English: chocolate weed

Hindi: bundahia, bundava, bundaya

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Herb or undershrub, 1.5-2 ft. or more, with hollow stems, erect or sometimes prostrate; flowers small, white or sometimes yellowish or pinkish.  Flowers in terminal clusters; stems with lines of stellate hairs on the young parts; leaves ovate, rounded or very slightly cuneate at base, acute, 3-6 cm long, up to 4 cm broad, 5-nerved at the base, nearly glabrous; petiole 1/3-1/2 as long as the blade; bracts linear, ciliate" (Hutchinson & Dalziel, 1958; p. 318).

"A coarse herb or subshrub 0.3-2.5 m high...  Its calyx is pale green, its petals usually white to pink (rarely yellow, purple or violet), its filaments and styles white to yellow or green, and its anthers yellow.  Its capsules at length become purplish or black and its seeds blackish brown" (Smith, 1981; p. 387).

"A small shrub with ovate-oblong serrate leaves 3-8 cm long, stellate-pubescent beneath; petioles 2-3 cm long; inflorescences axillary, densely congested; calyx-lobes lanceolate, pubescent; corolla pink (or white), petals spathulate; ovary pubescent; capsule glabrate, 5 mm thick"  (Stone, 1970; p. 422).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "sparingly naturalized on waste land and in cultivated areas near sea level"  (Smith, 1981; p. 387). In New Guinea, "a weed of pastures, headlands and roadsides. From low altitudes to about 700 m" (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 153).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical Asia (Stone, 1970; p. 422). "Widespread in the Old World tropics and subtropics, now pantropical" (Smith, 1981; p. 387). Africa, Asia, Australia, Solomon Islands; naturalized in neotropics and subtropics (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands
Pohnpei Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 168)
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands
Pohnpei Island   Glassman, S. F. (1952) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands
Pohnpei Island introduced
invasive
Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 109)
Naturalized
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Vanua Levu Island introduced
invasive
Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 387)
Vouchers cited: DA 3129, DA 8678, DA 10511, DA 11482
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Vanua Levu Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 33063)
Taxon name on voucher: Melochia corchorifolia L.
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Viti Levu Island introduced
invasive
Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 387)
Vouchers cited: DA 7237, DA 14442, DA 8678
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island introduced
invasive
Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 422)
Voucher cited: G.E.S. 240
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 168)
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (year unknown) (voucher ID: BISH 183466)
Taxon name on voucher: Melochia corchorifolia L.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) native
Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. (1975) (p. 153)
Widely spread but not often common, from low altitudes to about 700 m.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands   Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (pp. 46-47)
At low and medium altitudes in the settled areas; a weed in waste places, open grasslands, fallow fields, etc.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands native
Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 91)
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)
Australia (continental) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Western Australia
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)
Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia (Kingdom of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China
China
China (People's Republic of) native
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Widespread weed. S of Chang Jiang
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan
Japan
Japan native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia (country of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore (Republic of) uncertain if introduced
invasive
Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 60)
Weed of uncertain origin
Taiwan
Taiwan Island
Taiwan Island   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 233)
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
Agalega Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Stoddart, D. R. (1983) (p. 138)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Melochia corchorifolia, please let us know.


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This page was created on 26 JUL 2002 and was last updated on 21 MAY 2013.