Acnistus arborescens (L.) Schldl., Solanaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

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

Other Latin names:  Atropa arborescens L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: hollowheart

Spanish: palo de gallina

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  "A shrub or a small tree with corky-like bark, commonly 3-6 m. tall; leaves elliptic to oblong, mostly 5-15 cm. long, 3-5.5 cm. wide, acute or obtuse, attenuate at the base, glabrous or nearly so above, densely tomentose-floccose with branched or simple multicellular hairs below, sometimes glabrate; petioles 1-1.5 cm. long; flowers numerous, in axillary fascicles; pedicels 1.5-2.5 cm. long; calyx chartaceous, light brown, 2.5-4 mm. long, glabrous, the lobes short and rounded, about 1 mm. long, sometimes truncate; corolla white, 8-11 mm. long, glabrous within, glabrous or puberulent externally, the tube 4.5-6.5 mm. long, the lobes 3-5 mm. long, spreading and acute; stamens exserted; filaments 4-5.5 mm. long; anthers 2-2.5 mm. long, apiculate; style 9-11 mm. long; berry orange or yellow, 5-6 mm. in diameter, globose, pulpy; seeds reticulate-foveate"  (Gentry and Standley, 1974; 24(10/1-2) p. 4).

Habitat/ecology:  In Guatemala (native), "damp or wet thickets, 1,360 m"  (Gentry and Standley, 1974; 24(10/1-2) p. 4).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Mexico, Central and South America (GRIN).

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		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (year unknown) (voucher ID: PTBG 2936) Taxon name on voucher: Acnistus arborescens
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (year unknown) (voucher ID: BISH 500217) Taxon name on voucher: Acnistus arborescens

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)	introduced cultivated	Randall, R. P. (2007) (p. 19)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	Gentry, Johnnie L., Jr./Standley, Paul C. (1974)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Factsheet from USDA Forest Service.

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

Information about Acnistus arborescens as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

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

References:

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 0. Voucher specimen #BISH500217(Lau, J. 1594).

Gentry, Johnnie L., Jr./Standley, Paul C. 1974. Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana: Botany. Vol. 24, Part X, Nos. 1-2. Chicago Natural History Museum. 151 pp.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 0. Voucher specimen #PTBG2936(Flynn, Tim 3346).

Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status. CRC for Australian Weed Management, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. 524 pp.
Also:  Searchable online database at http://weeds.cbit.uq.edu.au/.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.