Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Kwara‘ae: kwalo ambui

Habit:  vine

Description:  "A vigorous twining herb to 20 m; stem terete covered by numerous lenticels, becoming woody. Leaves petiolate with glabrous petioles to 180 mm long; lamina ovate with the apex acuminate and base cordate to 240 mm long and 200 mm wide; upper leaf surface pubescent, lower surface glabrous. Inflorescence axillary with peduncles to 210 mm long, pubescent; bracts surrounding the flower bud elliptical to 30 mm long and 20 mm wide, tips obtuse, apiculate; pedicels c. 18 mm long. Sepals ovate to 30 mm long and 12.5 mm wide. Corolla yellow and funnel shaped c.50 mm long with the outside surface covered by numerous small sessile sphaerical glands. The stamen filaments long and inserted above the base of the corolla; bases swollen and densely papillate; anthers c. 5-6 mm long and strongly twisted. Ovary globose with 3-4 loculae. Fruit globose and c. 12 mm high and 26 mm round; seed solitary per loculus and placentation axile. Sepals persistent and clustered around the fruit, 30 mm long and 26 mm wide." (Bacon, 1982)

Main diagnostic features of the common weedy species of Merremia found in the Solomon Islands (from Bacon, 1982):

	M. peltata	M. pacifica	M. bracteata
Leaf shape	peltate	sagittate	sagittate
Leaf indumentum	glabrous	pubescent when young, glabrous when mature	densely pubescent when mature
Leaf texture	smooth	rugose	smooth
Flower bracts	absent	absent	large and numerous
Flower colour	creamy white*	pure white	yellow
Anthers	spirally twisting at dehiscence	not spirally twisting at dehiscence	spirally twisting at dehiscence

*M. peltata also has a yellow-flowered form.

Habitat/ecology:  Invades disturbed forest, similar to M. peltata.

Propagation:  Seed, probably also adventitious rooting and rooting from discarded pieces.

Native range:  Solomon Islands

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Bacon, P. S. (1982)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 91)

Comments:  While this species is native to the Solomon Islands it appears to be as invasive as M. peltata and should not be introduced outside its native range.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Merremia bracteata, please let us know.