Sanchezia parvibracteata Sprague & Hutchinson, Acanthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: sanchezia, shrubby whitevein

Spanish: espinazo de pescado

Tongan: moa

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "A large suffrutescent herb; stems smooth, subquadrangular, the angles rounded; leaf blades oblanceolate, up to 26 cm long and 7 cm wide or more, acuminate, subfalcate, narrowed at base and decurrent on the petiole, glabrous, undulate or shallowly dentate, puncticulate above, the costa and lateral veins (11 or 12 pairs) prominent beneath, the cystoliths on both surfaces numerous, about 0.5 mm long; inflorescence a sparingly branched terminal panicle up to 16 cm long, and 3 to 4 cm broad, the fascicles usually several-flowered, sessile, subsecund, the bracts subtending them triangular-ovate, subconnate, 10 to 12 mm long, about 6 mm wide at base, the bracts subtending the flowers ovate, up to 16 cm long and about 9 mm wide, obtusish, glabrous, ciliolate; bractlets oblanceolate, 15 mm long, about 4 mm wide, sparingly puberulent without, ciliolate, both bracts and bractlets firm, green or yellowish toward tip; calyx 2 cm long, the segments oblanceolate, 4 to 6 mm wide, acutish, glabrous proximally, puberulous distally, ciliolate, yellow; corolla ochre, 4 to 5 cm long, about 5 mm broad immediately above the ovary, about 10 mm in diameter at throat, rather densely pubescent distally with yellowish retrorsely curved hairs, the lower portion glabrous, the lobes oblong, about 6 mm long and 4 mm wide, emarginate; stamens exserted 7 to 8 mm beyond mouth of corolla, the filaments tomentose at and above the insertion, thence sparingly pilose (the hairs up to 1.5 mm long), but distally glabrous, the anthers 6 mm long, 2.5 mm broad, the sacs pubescent, the basal lobes ending in subulate spreading spurs about 1 mm long; staminodes 15 mm long, sparingly pilose, ovary and style glabrous; capsule not seen" (Leonard, 1958; pp. 56-57).

Habitat/ecology:  A shade-loving shrub (to ca. 5 m tall). Can form dense thickets which exclude most other vegetation. Wet tropical areas, particularly along stream margins (Csurhes and Edwards, 1998; p. 128).

Propagation:  Reproduces from small fragments and can be spread by flowing water. Suckers profusely.

Native range:  Tropical South America.

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	Aitutaki Atoll	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 15)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 15)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 15) Voucher: Flynn 6997 (PTBG, BISH, US)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 341) Taxon name on voucher: Sanchezia parvibracteata
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 11) "Potentially invasive".
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 65)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher cited: Cuddihy 526 (BISH 656064)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2012) (p. 55) Voucher cited: J. Parker & R. Parsons BIED47 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher cited: Herbst 5696 (BISH 415738)
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: Woolford 281 (BISH 40292)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 9) Vouchers cited: MacKee 9952, MacKee 11859 Spontané
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 46) Matavai Resort
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 86)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 21)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 82)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 21)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Malakal (Ngemelachel) Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 82)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 82)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 56)

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)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 128)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
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)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	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)

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	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Sanchezia parvibracteata, please let us know.