Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers, Bignoniaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Bignonia venusta Ker-Gawler

Common name(s): [more details]

English: flame flower, flame vine, flaming trumpet vine, orange creeper, orange trumpet vine

Hawaiian: huapala

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Vine, woody, climbing.  Leaves compound, opposite, leaflets two or three, blades ovate, 4-11 cm long with a three-parted tendril sometimes replacing the third leaflet.  Flowers continuously throughout the year; flowers in clusters of two to eight borne in a leafy terminal panicle or on short lateral branches.  Corolla of fused petals, tubular, 5-7 cm long with five ovate lobes at the tip, bright orange.  Fruit a narrow cylindrical capsule 25-30 cm long, containing many winged seeds"  (Whistler, 2000; pp. 390-391).

"Climbing vine, found only near sea level in cultivation; petioles 2.5-6 cm long; leaflet blades ovate, 4-8 x 2-4.5 cm; cymes 1-8-flowered, combined into a compact, leafy panicle; pedicels 1-2 cm long; calyx 5-8 mm long; corolla bright orange, the tube 5-7.5 cm long, the lobes at length recurved, 1-1.5 cm long; anthers protruding at anthesis; capsule 25-30 cm long" (Smith, 1991; p. 142).

Habitat/ecology:  "Fertile, moist, but well-drained soils in sunny places are preferred"  (Whistler, 2000; p. 391).

Propagation:  Cuttings and suckers (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 193).

Native range:  "Brazil and Paraguay and is widespread in cultivation"  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; pp. 184-1850.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	cultivated	Sykes, Bill (year unknown)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 142) Voucher cited: DA 10896
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 7207 (PAP) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rimatara (Rimitara) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1934) (voucher ID: BISH 133823) Taxon name on voucher: Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers
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	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L. (1993) (p. 11) "Present but not commonly planted".
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimens) Voucher cited: Degener 7991 (BISH 42938)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2012) (p. 31) Voucher cited: OED 2010021801 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimens) Voucher cited: Rock 2576 (BISH 42939)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2012) (p. 31) Voucher cited: U.S. Army 179 (BISH)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 22) Vouchers cited: Däniker 2682, MacKee 13269, MacKee 39307
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 104)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. Field notes.) Single specimen on fence on main road near the airport.

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	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 193)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 6)
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 257) Ornamental.

Comments:  Recorded as a weed in Peru (Holm et al., 1979).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Pyrostegia venusta, please let us know.