Barleria repens Nees, Acanthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: pink-ruellia

Habit:  herb

Description:  "This herbaceous plant usually remains less than 1 foot tall and has elliptic-ovate leaf blades 1-2 inches long that taper gradually into the petiole.  The flowers are 1.75 inches long, with a deeply 5-lobed limb 1-1.5 inches in diameter; the 2 ovate bracts below the flower persist and enclose the capsule, turning semi-transparent and papery with dark, prominent veins.  The capsule is slenderly oblong, about 0.75 inches long, and splits open to release 4 flattened, disc-shaped seeds about 0.25 inches in diameter."(Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 83)

"Prostrate, 1-2 ft. long, young parts yellow-strigose. Leaves 1 1/2 by 3/4 in. (larger in cultivated examples), shortly villous, afterwards more or less glabrate, tip triangular, base attenuate sometimes to the base of the petiole. Racemes scattered, 2-1-flowered; bract minute, linear. Two outer calyx-segments sub-similar, up to 3/4 by 1/2- 2/3 in., ovate, sparsely hairy, subentire, ultimately membranous reticulate, tip triangular. Corolla 1 1/2 in. long, pink; tube linear, narrowly funnel-shaped upwards. Ovary and style glabrous. Capsule 1/2- 3/4 in. long, 2-seeded, or 4-seeded with the 2 lower seeds considerably smaller." (JStor Global Plants entry for Barleria repens)

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  South Africa (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 83).

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	Kaua‘i Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1993) (voucher ID: BISH 658195) Taxon name on voucher: Barleria repens Nees
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 3) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H40126 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 3) Vouchers cited: West Maui: Oppenheimer & R. Bartlett H110007 (BISH, PTBG), Oppenheimer H30105 (BISH), Oppenheimer H60103 (BISH, PTBG), Oppenheimer H30129 (BISH, PTBG), Oppenheimer H60132 (BISH, PTBG), Oppenheimer H50116 (BISH, PTBG), F. Starr & K. Martz 010106-1 (BISH), F. Starr & K. Martz 010516-1 (BISH); West Maui: Oppenheimer H60132 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2002) (p. 3) Voucher cited: F. Kraus s.n. (BISH 665308)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 18) Cultivated only

Control:  Resistant to herbicides (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 83).