Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Talinum fruticosum
(L.) Juss., Portulacaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Portulaca fruticosa L.; Portulaca triangularis Jacq.; Talinum crassifolium (Jacq.) Willd.; Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Ceylon-spinach, Philippine-spinach, Surinam-purslane, waterleaf

French: grand pourprier

Spanish: espinaca de Java, espinaca de Surinam, verdolaga blanca, verdolaga de castilla

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Erect, stout, fleshy perennial herbs 5-10 dm tall.  Leaves elliptic to obovate, 5-15 cm long, 1.5-5 cm wide, apex acute to acuminate, base attenuate.  Flowers in 2-5-branched, racemose inflorescences 3-20 cm long, pedicels ca. 8-11 mm long, bracts subulate, ca. 4-6 mm long; sepals ca. 4-5 mm long; petals yellow (in Hawai‘i) or pink, obovate, up to 10 mm long; stamens 15-40.  Capsules pale yellow, ellipsoid, 6-7 mm long.  Seeds ca. 1.2 mm long, the surface smooth, minutely tuberculate near margins"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1076).

Habitat/ecology:  "Annual herbaceous plant, common in plantation crops, roadsides and shaded areas"  (Cardenas et al., 1972; p. 261).

Propagation:  Seed  (Cardenas et al., 1972; p. 261).

Native range:  Neotropics (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1076).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Hawai‘i (Big) Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1076)
Voucher cited: K. Nagata 1965 (BISH)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
O‘ahu Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R. (1995) (p. 25)
Voucher cited: Lau 1717 (BISH)
Japan (offshore islands)
Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands
Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands introduced
Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
As Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd.
Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
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)
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore (Republic of) introduced
cultivated
Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 85)
Cultivated only
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)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Talinum fruticosum, please let us know.


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

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This page was created on 26 FEB 2007 and was last updated on 19 MAR 2007.