Volkameria inermis L., Lamiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk; score: 8 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Volkameria inermis)

Other Latin names:  Clerodendrum commersonii (Poir.) Spreng.; Clerodendrum inerme (L.) Gaertn.; Volkameria commersonii Poir.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chuukese: apuech, apwöaut;ch, etiu, pucherik, ula, wuló?

English: butterfly pea

Palauan: umbreret

Pohnpeian: ilau, oolah, ula

Samoan: aloalo tai

Sonsorolese: habiya

Tongan: tutuhina

Ulithian: habwi

Woleaian: gabwi, habui

Yapese: apui, ara, gabwi

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Trailing or scrambling, glabrous shrub. Leaves simple, opposite, lanceolate-elliptic or oval, acuminate, base acute, up to 12 cm. long and 7 cm. wide but mostly smaller, pinnately nerved, petioles 1-2 cm. long, leaf scars prominently somewhat raised. Flowers in few-flowered, axillary, cymose clusters, peduncles up to 3-4 cm. long, corolla narrowly tubular, up to about 3 cm. long, white, stamens exserted, purple; fruit drupe-like, separating into four, woody nutlets." (as Clerodendrum inerme (L.) Gaertner in Plants of Tonga, p. 233)

Habitat/ecology:  "Common in sunny littoral areas, sometimes as a scandent shrub in littoral forest." (Botanical Inventory of Ta'u Unit, p. 63)

"Frequent near the shore throughout Tonga." (Plants of Tonga, p. 233)

Propagation:  (no propagation information known by PIER)

Native range:  The native range of Volkameria inermis L. (Lamiaceae) includes China; Japan (including the Ryukyu Islands); Taiwan; parts of tropical Asia (Bangladesh; India; Sri Lanka; Indochina; Myanmar; Thailand; Indonesia [including Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccas, Sumatra, and Irian Jaya]; Malaysia; the Philippines; Papua New Guinea; and the Solomon Islands); Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland); Marshall Islands; Northern Mariana Islands; French Polynesia; Fiji; New Caledonia; and Vanuatu. (GRIN) >p? "ranging from tropical Asia to Niue" (Botanical Inventory of Ta'u Unit, p. 63)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  (no invaded habitats or impacts known by PIER; please let us know if you know of such information we should add here)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa American Samoa Islands	American Samoa Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Manu‘a Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ofu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 63) Vouchers cited: Garber 584, 694; Yuncker 9096; Whistler 1332, 7695. "Common in sunny littoral areas, sometimes as a scandent shrub in littoral forest." (p. 63)
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Chuuk Islands		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177) (island name cited as "Truk")
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Chuuk Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Namonuito (Namonweito, Nómwun Wiité) Atoll		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Puluwat (Pwonowót) Atoll		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Ant Atoll		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pingelap Atoll		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pingelap Atoll		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177) (island name cited as "Ponape")
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Sokehs Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Ulithi	Mwagmwog		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177) Voucher cited: Lessa No. 21, 1947; det. M. Neal, confirmed by H. N. Moldenke.
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Ifalik (Ifaluk) Atoll		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177) (island name cited as "Ifaluk")
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Satawal Island		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Woleai Atoll		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fiji Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Kiribati Kiribati	Kiribati (Republic of)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Butaritari Atoll		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Marshall Islands Marshall Islands	Bigatyeland Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Arno Atoll		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 63)
Niue Niue	Niue Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Pacific Pacific	Malaya		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 233)
Pacific Pacific	Polynesia		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 233)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Palau Islands (main island group)		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Peleliu (Beliliou) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Palau Sonsorol Group	Sonsorol Island		Lessa, William A. (1977) (p. 177)
Palau Sonsorol Group	Sonsorol Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Lifuka Island	native	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 233) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15760
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Lifuka Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Nomuka Island	native	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 233) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15844
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Nomuka Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island	native	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 233) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15526
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	native	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 233) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 15170; Yuncker 15018
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Niuatoputapu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Tafahi Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island	native	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 233) Sources: Harvey; Crosby
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Erromango Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Espirito Santo Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Malakula (Malekula) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Pentecôte (Pentacost) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Torres Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Asia Asia	Asia (tropical)	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 63)
Japan Japan	Okinawa		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
India India	India (Republic of)		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 233)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Volkameria inermis, please let us know.