Research directed by C. Daehler (UH Botany) with funding from the Kaulunani Urban Forestry Program and US Forest Service

Information on Risk Assessments
Original risk assessment

Centrosema pubescens (centro)

Answer

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated?

y=-3, n=0

n

1.02

Has the species become naturalized where grown?

y=-1, n=-1

y

1.03

Does the species have weedy races?

y=-1, n=-1

n

2.01

Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) – If island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute “wet tropical” for “tropical or subtropical”

See Append 2

2

2.02

Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2

2

2.03

Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility)

y=1, n=0

n

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

y=1, n=0

y

2.05

Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2

?=-1, n=0

y

3.01

Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05

y

3.02

Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.03

Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

3.04

Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.05

Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y=1, n=0

n

4.02

Allelopathic

y=1, n=0

n

4.03

Parasitic

y=1, n=0

n

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

y=1, n=-1

n

4.05

Toxic to animals

y=1, n=0

n

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

y=1, n=0

n

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

y=1, n=0

n

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

y=1, n=0

4.09

Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle

y=1, n=0

y

4.1

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island)

y=1, n=0

y

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y=1, n=0

y

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y=1, n=0

n

5.01

Aquatic

y=5, n=0

n

5.02

Grass

y=1, n=0

n

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

y=1, n=0

n

5.04

Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers)

y=1, n=0

n

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

y=1, n=0

n

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y=1, n=-1

y

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

y=1, n=-1

n

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

y=1, n=-1

y

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

y=-1, n=0

n

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y=1, n=-1

y

6.07

Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1

See left

1

7.01

Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas)

y=1, n=-1

n

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y=1, n=-1

y

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

y=1, n=-1

y

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

y=1, n=-1

n

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

y=1, n=-1

n

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

y=1, n=-1

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

y=1, n=-1

n

8.02

Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr)

y=1, n=-1

y

8.03

Well controlled by herbicides

y=-1, n=1

y

8.04

Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire

y=1, n=-1

y

8.05

Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)

y=-1, n=1

Total score:

11

Source

Notes

1.01

No evidence.

1.02

(8)Naturalized in Java 9) naturalized in Australia

( (8)Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225. 9)Stanley and Ross Flora of south eastern Queensland

1.03

No evidence.

2.01

Native to tropical central and south America and naturalized in many tropical and subtropical countries.

2.02

2.03

'Even within the tropics, they are confined to coastal lowlands.' 'Common centro ceases to grow below 13 C …'. 'The southern limit of adaptation …appears to be about 22 S lat.

Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225.

2.04

Native to tropical central and south America and naturalized in many tropical and subtropical countries.

2.05

Listed as common or weedy in (1)Micronesia (2)Chuuk (3)Rota (4)American Samoa (5)Niue and (6)Tonga (7)widely naturalized in Africa. (8)Naturalized in Java

(1)http://www.hear.org/pier3/mappendix2.htm#Table 2-1 (2)http://www.hear.org/pier3/creport.htm#invasive (3)http://www.hear.org/pier3/rappendix2.htm (4) (5)http://www.hear.org/pier3/nappendix2.htm (6)http://www.hear.org/pier3/tappendix2.htm (7)http://biodiversity.soton.ac.uk/LegumeWeb (8)Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225.

3.01

3.02

No evidence.

3.03

Listed as a 'principal' weed in Australia, common weed in Peurto Rico and Trinidad and a weed on 'unknown importance' in Borneo, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Nigeria, New Guniea and Philippines.

Holm, L, Pancho, J.V.,Herberger,J.P. and Plucknett, D.L. 1979. A geogrpahical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley and sons. New York.

3.04

No evidence

3.05

C.plumieri listed as common weed in Puerto Rico and C. virginianum listed as 'weed of unknown importance' in Guatemala and Honduras.

Holm, L, Pancho, J.V.,Herberger,J.P. and Plucknett, D.L. 1979. A geogrpahical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley and sons. New York.

4.01

No evidence.

Adams, C.D. Flowering plants of Jamaica. 1972. University of West Indies. Jamiaca.

4.02

No evidence

4.03

No evidence.

4.04

(1)'The centros are non-toxic and highly palatable especially to cattle accustomed them. (2)'highly palatable

(1)Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225. (2)http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/pastures/4478.html

4.05

'The centros are non-toxic and highly palatable especially to cattle accustomed them.'

Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225.

4.06

(1)This website lists 64 fungal species to be found on C. pubescens. (2)Centrosema mosaic virus - host on other legumes too - but not listed on APHIS website.(3)The virus, recovered from symptomless samples of the weed collected from contaminated fields, was characterized by mechanical transmission to groundnut, host range, in vitro properties, lack of aphid transmission and serological relationship with groundnut crinkle virus. (4)'Common centro is relatively free of major pests and diseases.'

(1)http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/all/FindRecOneFungusFrame.cfm (2) (3)Dubern, J. 1981. Centrosema pubescens, a natural host of groundnut crinkle virus in Ivory Coast. Phytopathologische Zeitschrift, 1981, Vol.100, No.2, pp.182-185. (4)Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225.

4.07

No evidence.

4.08

No information regarding fire ecology.

4.09

'…once established are quite tolerant of shade.'

Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225.

4.1

'They grow on soils from sandy loams to clays provided they posses reasonable physical and chemical fertility. pH range 4.9 to 5 but nodulate even at a pH of 4.

Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225.

4.11

Forms dense mats and climbs onto trees.'

http://www.hear.org/pier3/cepub.htm

4.12

5.01

5.02

5.03

Not woody. Nitrogen fixing leguminous vine.

(1)http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi (2)http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/pastures/4478.html

5.04

6.01

No evidence.

6.02

Grown from seeds

6.03

'Artificial hybridization within species of Centrosema is usually easy.' No information regarding natural hybridization.

Miles, J. W., Clements, R. J., Grof, B. and Serpa, A. Genetics and breeding of Centrosema in Centrosema, biology, agronomy and utilization. 1990. CIAT publication.

6.04

'The flowers are self pollinating (cleistogamous), pollination occurring in the expanded flower bud before it opens. As a result strains remain pure and breed true.'

Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225.

6.05

6.06

'Centurion centro is a twining or scrambling annual that can root from the nodes under moist conditions.'

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/pastures/4478.html

6.07

'Twining annual for monsoon region'

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/pastures/4478.html

7.01

The propagules do not have any means to attachment.

7.02

Grown widely as a cover crop

7.03

Seeds about 4-5mm long X 3-4mm broad. Relatively big but due to growth in pastures with grasses, seeds may be accidentally harvested with grass.

7.04

Explosive dispersal -- 'The flowers are red to purple, producing seed pods that shatter violently when mature, scattering seed up to 1 metre.'

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/pastures/4478.html

7.05

7.06

7.07

No evidence that the propagules have any means of attachment and hence likely to be dispersed externally by animals.

Adams, C.D. Flowering plants of Jamaica. 1972. University of West Indies. Jamiaca.

7.08

No information.

8.01

Seeds about 4-5mm long X 3-4mm broad. Pods are 7 to 15 cm long - up to 20 seeds in partitioned compartments. '300 to 600 seeds per Kg per hectare have been harvested under irrigation…'

Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225.

8.02

Probably yes - since more than 60% of the seeds are hard that is unable to take up water without scarification. (2)'Seeds of C. pubescens have hard coats, are resistant ot abrasion and are almost impermeable to water. When sown under favourable conditions, a high percentage of the seeds fail to germinate within a prescribed period, although they are still viable. Such hard seeds become permeable at different times after harvest and it is impossible to estimate even approximately, the proportion of impermeable seeds which will germinate in any given time under ordinary field germination conditions.'

Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225. (2)Pe, W and Hill, M. J. 1974. Effect of seed storage and seed treatment on the germination of Centrosema pubescens (centro) seeds. New Zealand journal of experimental agriculture. 3: 81-84.

8.03

'2,4-D amine, 2,4-D ethyl ester, 2,4-DB-potassium, MCPA-sodium, diquat and a 1:1 mixture of 2,4,5-T butyl ester and 2,4-D ethyl esater were applied to the tropical pasture legume Centrosema pubescens Benth. (centro) grown either alone or with Panicum maximum Jacq. (guinea grass). Even at 0.5lb/ac (total) the 2,4,5-T/2,4-D mixture caused severe damage to seedling and mature centro. 2,4-D amine, 2,4-D ethyl ester and 2,4-DB potassium were less damaging and there were only slight differences in response to these. Diquat at 0.25 lb/ac desiccated contro seedlings, but most plants survived and grew satisfactorily. There was some evidence that the growth of mature contro was depressed least when the herbicides were applied during vegetation quiescence. Application just after the start of flowering altered the flowering pattern but did not reduce seed yields significantly. 2,4-D amine at 0.75 and 1.5 lb/ac and 2,4-D ethyl ester at 1.5 lb/ac decreased the percentage germination of abraded seed. Diquat 0.25 lb/ac ap

Entire abstract: Bailey, D.R. 1969. The effect of post emergence herbicides on the vegetative and reproductive growth of Centrosema pubescens Benth. in Queensland. Weed Research Vol 9: 9-19

8.04

(1)Once established centros are able to withstand heavy grazing … (2) 'Centurion regenerates aggressively ...'. No direct evidence regarding impact of mutilation, cultivation or fire.

(1)Cameron, D. G. 1984. Tropical and subtropical pasture legumes. Centro (Centrosema pubescens) a legume of the wet tropical coast. Queensland Agricultural Journal Vol 110(4):221-225.

8.05

Don’t know.