Abrus precatorius L., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: kolales halomtano

English: bead vine, black-eyed Susan, coral bead plant, coralbean, crab's-eye, Indian licorice, jequirity, jequirity bean, licorice vine, love bean, lucky bean, minnie-minnies, prayer beads, prayerbead, precatory, precatory bean, red beadvine, rosary pea, weatherplant, weathervine

Fijian: lele, lere ndamu, ndiri ndamu, nggiri ndamu

Hawaiian: pūkiawe, pūkiawe lei, pūkiawe lenalena, pūpūkiawe

Maori (Cook Islands): kirikiri rangi, kōviriviri mata tako, koviriviri mata-tako, pitipiti‘ō, uiui, uiui, uiui

Niuean: mata‘ila, pomea mataila

Samoan: fuefue laulili‘i, matamoso

Tahitian: pipi tio, pitipitio

Tongan: matamoe, matamoho, moho

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "An annual woody, slender climber, sometimes reaching a length of 10 m, branching, deciduous; leaves paripinnate, 5-8 cm long, with 10-20 pairs of thin, pale-green, oblong, very short-petiolulate, blunt-tipped but minutely mucronate leaflets each 1-3 cm long; flowers many on elongated axillary racemes, pink, lavender, or white; pods elliptic, up to 4 cm long, dehiscent, turgid, at first silky-pubescent, beaked; seeds 3-6, globose, scarlet-red with a large black spot, glossy, hard, about 3.5 mm thick, pink when immature."  (Stone, 1970; p. 322).

Habitat/ecology:  "Tropical hammocks, open forests, pine rockland, disturbed sites.  The plant establishes well in disturbed sites and spreads rapidly after fires"  (Weber, 2003; p. 11).  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in low elevation, dry, disturbed sites" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 638-639); "a weed of pastures and non-cropland"  (Motooka et al., 2003). In Tonga, "frequent in thickets" (Yuncker, 1959; p. 144).

Propagation:  Seed, spread by birds (Weber, 2003; p. 11).

Native range:  "Tropical Africa and Madagascar to tropical Asia, eastward to Australia and in the Pacific to the Tuamotus, now widely naturalized in America" (Smith, 1985; pp. 162-164).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ofu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1980) (p. 160)
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Aunu‘u Island		Whistler, W. A. (1980) (p. 160)
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Whistler, W. A. (1980) (p. 160)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Agrigan (Agrihan) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Agrigan (Agrihan) Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. (1975) (p. 26) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 31616 (US), Falanruw 2168 (US), Falanruw 2340 (US)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Aguijan (Agiguan, Aguihan) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Alamagan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Alamagan Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. (1975) (p. 26) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 31695 (US), Falanruw 1872 (US), Kondo in 1949 (BISH)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Alamagan Island	introduced	Ohba, T. (1994) (p. 58) Voucher cited: CBM-BS-5885?
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Anatahan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Anatahan Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. (1975) (p. 26) Voucher cited: Falanruw 1608 (US)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. (1975) (p. 26) Vouchers cited: Marche 152 (P), Moore 336 (US), Fosberg 31389 (US), Anderson 574 (US, BISH, Fo, NY)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll	native abo. intro.	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	native abo. intro.	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	native abo. intro.	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island	native abo. intro.	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Miti‘aro Island	native abo. intro.	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	native abo. intro.	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Dublon (Tonowas) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Param Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Glassman, S. F. (1952) (pp. 73-74) Voucher cited: Glassman 2781 (US), Hosokawa 6121 (US)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fulanga Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164) Voucher cited: Smith 1176
Fiji Fiji Islands	Koro Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164) Voucher cited: Smith 1034
Fiji Fiji Islands	Navutu-i-Loma Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164) Voucher cited: Bryan 386
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ngau Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164) Voucher cited: Smith 7929
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ongea Ndriki Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164) Voucher cited: Bryan 386
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164) Voucher cited: Seeman 110
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164) Vouchers cited: Seemann 110, DA 15288, Tothill 117c, DA 5754
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164) Vouchers cited: DA 13573,Greenwood 242
Fiji Fiji Islands	Yasawas Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164) Vouchers cited: DA 13663, St. John 18030
French Polynesia Society Islands	Bora Bora Island	native	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 137) Voucher cited: Grant 5021
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island		Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 46)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Maupiti (Maurua) Island		Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 46)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Mehetia (Mahetia, Meetia) Island	native	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 137) Voucher cited: Grant 4692
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	native	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 137) Vouchers cited: Grant 5021, Moore 614
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	native	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 137) Voucher cited: Florence 2848
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Tuamotu Islands	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 162-164)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 322) Vouchers cited: Stone 3919 (GUAM), Stone 5053 (GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 638)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 638)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 638)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 638)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ni‘ihau Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 638)
New Caledonia Récifs D'Entrecasteaux (D'Entrecasteaux Reefs)	Île Surprise	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 80)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Lifou	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 80)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 80) Vouchers cited: Deplanche 559, Pancher s.n. s.loc., Eloin s.n. (BR), Balansa 29a, Cribs 973, Sarlin 50 s.loc., MacKee 2444, MacKee 30953, MacKee 31991
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 144) Voucher cited: CHR 170441
Niue Niue	Niue Island	native	Whistler, W. A./Atherton, J. (1997) (p. 33)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 63) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 9751 (BISH), Yuncker 10202 (BISH) "Frequent in thickets".
Palau Palau (main island group)	Angaur Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Malakal Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Ha‘apai Islands	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 25) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 15724, Hotta 4581, Soakai 674, Soakai 678, Buelow 395, Whistler 6615
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Kao Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 25) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 15951, Scarth-Johnson 6
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Kao Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 144) Voucher cited: Yuncker 1595
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Lifuka Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 144) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15724
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 144) "Frequent throughout Tonga"
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 25) Vouchers cited: Parks 16342!, Sykes 216
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 25) Vouchers cited: USEE (n.s.), Soakai 624, Whistler 6773
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 144) Cited: U.S. Expl. Exped.
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Late Island	introduced	Sykes, W. R. (1981) (p. 350)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Late Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 25) Vouchers cited: Hotta 4835, Buelow & Sykes 250
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Niuafo‘ou Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 25) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 16002, Whistler 6398
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Niuafo‘ou Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 144) Voucher cited: Yuncker 16002
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Niuatoputapu Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 25) Voucher cited: Hurlimann 353
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Niuatoputapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 144) Voucher cited: Hürlimann 353
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Tafahi Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 25) Vouhcer cited: Hurlimann 559
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 25) Vouchers cited: Crosby (n.s.), Yuncker 16125, Hotta 4718
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 144) Voucher cited: Yuncker 16125
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Burkill, I. H. (1900) (p. 34)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 1)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced	Weber, Ewald (2003) (p. 11)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	Motooka, Philip/Castro, Luisa/Nelson, Duane/ Nagai, Guy/Ching, Lincoln (2003)

Comments:  Seeds are highly poisonous.

Control: 

Physical: Pull or dig out small plants.

Chemical: "Probably sensitive to foliar sprays of triclopyr.  Good control wit triclopyr ester at 10% in oil applied to basal bark or cut surface and with triclopyr amine at 50% in water applied to cut surface"   (Motooka et al., 2003).

Additional information:  Information from the book "Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide" (Motooka et al., 2003). (PDF format).

Additional online information about Abrus precatorius is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Abrus precatorius may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Burkill, I. H. 1900. The flora of Vavau, one of the Tonga Islands, with a short account of its vegetation by Charles Steele Crosby. Lin. Jour. Bot. 35:20-65.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Fosberg, F. R. 1997. Preliminary checklist of the flowering plants and ferns of the Society Islands. Ed. by David R. Stoddart. U. Cal. Berkeley.

Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. 1975. Vascular flora of the northern Marianas Islands. Smithsonian Contrib. Bot. 22:1-45.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Glassman, S. F. 1952. The flora of Ponape. Bishop Mus. Bull. 209: 1-152.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

Motooka, Philip/Castro, Luisa/Nelson, Duane/ Nagai, Guy/Ching, Lincoln. 2003. Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. 184 pp.

Ohba, T. 1994. Flora and vegetation of the northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia. Biological Expedition to the Northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia. In A. Asakua & T. Furuki, eds.  Natural History Research, Special issue no. 1, Chiba, Japan: Natural History Museum and Institute. pp. 13-69.

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1981. The vegetation of Late, Tonga. Allertonia 2(6):323-353.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1980. The vegetation of eastern Samoa. Allertonia 2:45-90.

Whistler, W. A. 1984. Annotated list of Samoan plant names. Economic Botany 38:464.489.

Whistler, W. A. 1990. Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands: The plants, their Maori names, and their uses. Allertonia 5(4):347-424.

Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flora of Tonga [unpublished checklist]. 107 pp.

Whistler, W. A./Atherton, J. 1997. Botanical survey of the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area, Niue. Unpublished technical report. 76 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1945. Plants of the Manua Islands. Bishop Mus. Bull. 184. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 73 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.