Photinia davidiana (Decne.) Cardot, Rosaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Risk assessment results:  Low risk, score: -2 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Stransvaesia davidiana Decne.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: hong guo shu

English: Chinese photinia, Chinese stranvaesia, matchweed, photinia, stranvaesia

French: stranvaesia

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Treelets or shrubs, 2-4 1/2 m high. Twigs, petioles and main nerves shortly hairy when young, glabrescent. Kataphylls probably present at base of shoots, not seen. Leaves reddish when young, red again before falling. Stipules on the base of petiole, narrowly triangular, up to 3 by 1/2 mm, midrib excentric, keeled inside and glandular on the keel, sparsely hairy, very early caducous. Petiole 1/2 - 1 cm long. Leaf blade elliptic to elliptic-oblong or slightly obovate or ovate, index 1 3/4 - 2 1/2, 4-9 by 2-4 cm, base rounded to acute, apex usually acute and more or less distinctly mucronate, sometimes shortly acuminate, margin entire; midrib slightly grooved above, prominent below, at least at base, nerves c. 7-9 pairs, often not easily distinguishable from stronger intermediate veins, more of less flat above, hardly prominent below as is the widely reticulate venation; very stiff and coriaceous, somewhat shiny above, hardly prominent below as is the widely reticulate venation; very stiff and coriaceous, somewhat shiny above. Inflorescence a terminal compound raceme, more or less pyramidal in shape, up to 4 cm long, with up to c. 8 laterals of the 1^st order, these up to 3« cm long, usually branched again and bearing up to 10 (but usually not more than 5) flowers, the lowermost laterals usually in the axils of leaves, the higher ones bracteate; all axes, including the up to 3 mm long pedicels, distinctly but shortly appressed-hairy. Bracts and bracteoles early caducous; bracts often 2- or 3-dentate at apex, up to 3 mm long; bracteoles 2, close to the flower, up to 2 mm long, margin glandular-serrate. Hypanthium more or less campanulate, up to 2 mm high, only the basal half connate to the ovary, sparsely hairy outside, glabrous inside. Sepals triangular, 1-1 1/2 by 1 3/4-2 mm, with rounded to pointed apex, glabrous outside, usually ciliolate and with few short hairs inside. Petals elliptic to broadly orbicular, insignificantly clawed, up to 4 1/2 by 4 mm, white to pinkish, usually with some hairs at base inside, erect in anthesis. Stamens 17-20; filaments rather thick and short, up to 3 mm long, glabrous; anthers up to 1 mm long. Ovary semi-inferior, shortly but distinctly hairy on the dome-shaped free top, 4- or 5-celled; styles 4 or 5, up to 3 1/2 mm, more or less halfway connate, glabrous except the extreme base. Fruit (sub)globular, up to 8 by 8 mm (measured in sicco), red when ripe, free part of hypanthoum and sepals closely appressed against the top; pericarpium sparsely hairy, with a thick and fleshy middle layer, in sicco still up to 2 mm thick, inner layer thin and bony. Seeds 1-5, ellipsoid to obovoid, c. 4 by 2 mm, testa firm, light brown; endosperm thin (or absent?); cotyledons planoconvex" (Kalkman, 1973; pp. 427-428).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "Mesic forest at 4500-6000 ft. elevation."(Hawaii's Most Invasive Horticultural Plants)

"On Mt. Kinabalu [Borneo] the species has been collected at altitudes from 3050 up to more than 3900 m, on almost bare granitic rock and in subalpine shrubbery. On the continent it is known from lower altitudes. The Sumatran specimens are from subalpine scrub at altitudes of 2600 to more than 3000 metres" (Kalkman, 1973; pp. 427-428).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  China, Taiwan, North Vietnam, North Sumatra, Borneo (Kalkman, 1973; pp. 427-428).

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	Herbarium Pacificum Staff (1996) (p. 6) Vouchers cited: A. Kikuta s.n. (BISH), E.L. Caum s.n. (BISH) Naturalized.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Herbarium Pacificum Staff (1996) (p. 6) East Maui. Voucher cited: R. Hobdy 2699 (BISH) Likely naturalized.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Photinia davidiana, please let us know.