Aeschynomene americana L., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 12 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: min gan he meng

English: American joint vetch, joint vetch, shyleaf

Spanish: pega pega, pulmón

Habit:  herb

Description:  "An erect-ascending, annual or short-lived perennial, shrub-like legume, 1 to 2 m tall. Stems hairless, often hard but pithy in the lower regions; upper sections hairy, usually glandular. Leaves 3 to 7 cm long. Leaflets 8 to 38 pairs, 5 to 15 mm long, 1 to 2 mm wide, linear or linear to oblong, sensitive, folding together when touched. Stipules persistent, linear-lanceolate, 1 to 2 cm long. Inflorescence a loose, few-flowered raceme, often branched. Calyx about 4 mm long, deeply two-lipped. Corolla varying in colour from white tinged with mauve or light violet to purple to flesh coloured, sometimes pinkish orange, 6 to 10 mm long. Pod usually slightly curved, four to eight jointed, up to 4 cm long, the upper margin entire, the lower deeply indented at each segment joint; each segment one-seeded; semi-circular, about 4 mm long. Seeds grey-green to dark and light brown" (FAO).

Habitat/ecology:  "Essentially a wetland plant, requiring a minimum of 1,000 mm mean annual rainfall.  Sea level to 1,000 m in Jamaica (Adams, 1972).  Var. flabellata is found mainly in wet or moist places at elevations up to 2,800 m.  Quite widely adapted, but particularly suited to wet, low-lying, sandy soils and to similarly located solodics of coastal lowland country" (FAO). In New Guinea, "a weed of grazing land, avoided by stock and thus able to out-grow more palatable species if not controlled. Lowland localities with marked dry seasons" (Henty & Pritchard, 1975).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Native to Central America and tropical South America, extending as far south as Argentina and north to Florida, United States, and the West Indies" (FAO).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 35)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Saipan	Saipan Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 35)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Denslow, Julie S./Nelson, Duane/Waguk, Erick E. (2000) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher: BMW 5777 (BISH, BRI)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 16) Voucher cited: Lorence 9389 (PTBG) Naturalized
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced invasive	Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. (2002) (p. 62)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1996) (voucher ID: PTBG 24907) Taxon name on voucher: Aeschynomene americana L.
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2005) (voucher ID: PTBG 44955) Taxon name on voucher: Aeschynomene americana
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced invasive	Sanney, Jacob A. (2013) (p. 19) KCSO target species 2013
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 35)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 80) Vouchers cited: Däniker 1686 (Z), MacKee 15544, MacKee 28595, Thomas in MacKee 39279
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 3) Vouchers: Lorence 9812 (PTBG, BNM, NY, BISH, US), Lorence 9915 (PTBG, BNM, NY, US)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1982) (voucher ID: BNM 3156) Taxon name on voucher: Aeschynomene americana L.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2008) (voucher ID: PTBG 105) Taxon name on voucher: Aeschynomene americana L.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2008) (voucher ID: PTBG 208) Taxon name on voucher: Aeschynomene americana L.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 102)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1966) (voucher ID: BNM 1240) Taxon name on voucher: Aeschynomene americana L.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1966) (voucher ID: BNM 415) Taxon name on voucher: Aeschynomene americana L.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1977) (voucher ID: BNM 10015) Taxon name on voucher: Aeschynomene americana L.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang 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)	introduced invasive	Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. (1975) (p. 110) Established in a few lowland localities with marked dry seasons.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 9)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

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	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 138)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 184)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 10) Naturalised
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Roadsides
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	introduced cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	introduced cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced invasive	Rivers, Julie (2004) (p. 5) var. glandulosa
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
India (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Andaman Islands	Andaman Islands	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
India (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Nicobar Islands	Nicobar Islands	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

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)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Georgia, Louisiana
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Aeschynomene americana, please let us know.