Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels, Phyllanthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk (based on second screen), score: 4 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Cicca nodiflora Lam.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: iba

English: Otaheite gooseberry, Tahiti gooseberry, gooseberry tree

French: cerisier de Tahiti, cherimbelier, phyllanthe sour, surette

Samoan: vine

Spanish: grosella, grosellero, guinda

Tahitian: mue

Habit:  tree

Description:  "A small tree up to 8-9 m tall, sparingly branched, the crown open, the leaves mostly 2-8 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, ovate or elliptic, pinkish when young, rounded or subcordate, somewhat asymmetric or not, slightly glaucous beneath, thin-chartaceous, drooping; petioles about 2 mm long; inflorescences on branches maturing after leaves have fallen, racemose, up to about 7 cm long, single or fasiculate, simple; male flowers with red calyx,; anthers yellow; female flowers with pink calyx; ovary green, styles pale yellow; fruit obscurely pentagonal or hexagonal, each with 2 shallow rounded lobes, pale green or whitish, thin fleshy with crisp slightly juicy sour pulp, 1.5-2 cm thick, pendent, the calyx embedded at base of fruit; seeds within a small central stone; pedicel 2-4 mm long"  (Stone, 1970; p. 386).

Habitat/ecology:  On Christmas Island (Indian Ocean), cultivated and recently naturalized in gardens, disturbed areas and quarries.

Propagation:  Seed, possibly spread by birds (Swarbrick, 1997; p. 123).

Native range:  Brazil (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 43)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) Observed in survey, no herbarium record.
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 133-134)
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 133-134)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1988) (voucher ID: PTBG 6272) Taxon name on voucher: Phyllanthus acidus
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 133-134)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 39693) Taxon name on voucher: Phyllanthus acidus
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 133-134)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 40936) Taxon name on voucher: Phyllanthus acidus
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 133-134)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 112) Voucher cited: Moore 458
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 133-134)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 112) Vouchers cited: BRY 25726, Florence 2851, Grant 4311
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 133-134)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 2851 (PAP) Cultivée
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Raro‘ia Atoll	introduced cultivated	Meyer, Jean-Yves/Fourdrigniez, Marie (2008) (p. 14)
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Tenarunga Atoll	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 133-134)
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Tubuai Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 386) Voucher cited: Stone 4048 (GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 143)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2012) (pp. 59-60) Voucher cited: J. Parker & R. Parsons BIED44 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral/Imada, Clyde T. (2000) (p. 21)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 53) Vouchers cited: MacKee 42917, Perez in MacKee 43387

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 69) Cultivated only

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 123)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Cousin Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 27) Voucher cited: Fosberg 52089 (US)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Phyllanthus acidus, please let us know.