Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Prosopis juliflora
(Sw.) DC., Fabaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Hawai‘i/Pacific:  High risk, score: 19 (Go to the risk assessment)
Risk assessment of Prosopis juliflora from the Government of Queensland, Australia (PDF format)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: algaroba, ironwood, mesquite

French: algarrobe, bayarone

Spanish: algarroba, algarrobo, cují negro

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Shrubs or trees 3-10 m tall; branches slightly zigzag, with stout stipular spines 1-3 (-5) cm long.  Leaves with 1-2 (-4) pairs of pinnae, each with (6-) 12-25 (-29) pairs of leaflets, these oblong, 6-16 (-23) mm long, 1.5-3.2 (-5.5) mm wide, glabrous, apex rounded, obtuse, or subacute, base rounded.  Flowers numerous, in cylindrical spikes 5-10 (-15) cm long; corolla pale yellow, 4-5 mm long; stamens 5-8 mm long.  Pods pale yellowish brown, cylindrical or slightly irregularly curved, usually 8-30 cm long, 0.8-1.7 cm in diameter, mesocarp fleshy, only flattened in younger stages, stipe 0.7-2 cm long.  Seeds obovoid, 5-6.5 mm long, 4-5 mm wide"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 692-693, 1878).

Habitat/ecology:  "Grass- and shrubland, dry forests.  This salt and drought tolerant tree is nitrogen-fixing and has deep reaching roots and tolerates dry as well as waterlogged soils.  The tree rapidly forms dense thorny thickets that reduce native species richness and wildlife habitats.  Invaded grasslands are transformed to woodland and forests.  Loss of grass cover under canopies of this tree may promote soil erosion.  The tree resprouts easily after damage"  (Weber, 2003; p. 344).

Naturalized in Hawai‘i  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 692-693); "occurs in dry leeward areas.  Capable of rendering large areas impassable and displacing lower-growing plants"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Propagation:  Seed.  "Seed production is prolific, and seeds are dispersed by water and animals.  Seeds accumulate in a soil seed bank"  (Weber, 2003; p. 344).

Native range:  From Mexico through Central America to northern South America, Galápagos Islands.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Española Group
Española Island native
Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Española Group
Gardner por Espaņola Islet, Española Island native
Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Floreana Group
Floreana Island native
Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Isabela Group
Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island native
Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Pinta Group
Pinta Island native
Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Santa Cruz Group
Santa Cruz Island native
Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Santa Fé Group
Santa Fé Island native
Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Santiago Group
Rábida Island native
Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
French Polynesia
Marquesas Islands
Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island introduced
invasive
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013)
Naturalisée
French Polynesia
Marquesas Islands
Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island introduced
invasive
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013)
Naturalisée
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island   Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 53)
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island introduced
invasive
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013)
Naturalisée
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Kaua‘i Island introduced
invasive
Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2000) (p. 12)
Voucher cited: C. Imada, W. Char & C. Morden 99-4 (BISH)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Lāna‘i Island introduced
invasive
Oppenheimer, Hank (2007) (p. 24)
Voucher cited: Oppenheimer & J. Penniman H50621 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
O‘ahu Island introduced
invasive
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 692)
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands introduced
invasive
Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 251)
As Prosopis vidaliana Naves. Manila Bay region, forming dense thickets immediately back of the beach; also in Basilan.
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
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 191)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland introduced
invasive
Australian Biological Resources Study (2013)
"Occurs in a few localities near Townsville".
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Costa Rica (Republic of) native
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
El Salvador (Republic of) native
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Guatemala (Republic of) native
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Honduras (Republic of) native
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Nicaragua (Republic of) native
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Panama (Republic of) native
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
China
China
China (People's Republic of) introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia (Republic of) introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Colombia native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Ecuador (Republic of) (continental) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Perú (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam (Socialist Republic of) introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
La Réunion (France)
La Réunion Island
La Réunion Island introduced
invasive
Lavergne, Christophe (2006)
"Envahissant"
La Réunion (France)
La Réunion Island
La Réunion Island introduced
invasive
Kueffer, C./Lavergne, C. (2004) (p. 4)
Mauritius
Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)
Mauritius Island introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)

Comments:  P. juliflora is on the Hawai‘i state exclusion list.

Control: 

Physical:  "Seedlings and saplings can be pulled or dug out, roots must be removed.  Cutting trees below the ground surface may prevent resprouting.  Burning is used to kill plants above-ground"  (Weber, 2003; p. 344).

Chemical: "Sensitive to triclopyr. HAVO staff reported control with basal bark application of triclopyr ester at 5% product in diesel oil. (Chris Zimmer, HAVO). Small plants (to 5 ft) on Kaua‘i killed by foliar drizzle application of triclopyr ester at 15% in crop oil, but it took a year. Tebuthiuron was also effective (Motooka et al., 2003).


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

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This page was created on 2 NOV 2004 and was last updated on 7 MAY 2017.