Aglaonema commutatum Schott, Araceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk (based on second screen), score: 1 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Aglaonema elegans Engl.; Aglaonema marantifolium var. maculatum Hook. f.; Aglaonema warburgii Engl.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Chinese evergreen, Philippine evergreen, silver queen aglaonema

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Plants erect at first, later becoming ±decumbent; to 1.5 m tall.  Petioles mostly 6-25 (-35) cm long, commonly half as long to one and a half times as long as the blade; sheath membranous; blade oblong-elliptic or lanceolate, sometimes ovate or elliptic, mostly 12-35 (-44) cm long and 3-12 (-18) cm wide, usually about 2-4 times longer than wide; base somewhat asymmetric; apex acuminate; main lateral veins about 5-8; leathery.  Leaf blades often more or less variegated, with bars or spots.  Inflorescence: peduncles 1-6 together, as much as 15-20 cm long; spathe pale green (rarely almost white), mostly 4-9 cm long and 3-4 cm wide, shortly decurrent; stipe about 1 cm long; spadix cylindric, usually 2-6 cm long, included, bearing roughly 10-16 gynoecia in the pistillate part; staminate part commonly 1.5-5 cm long.  Fruits yellow to red, elliptico-obovoid, under 25 mm long" (Stone, 1970; p. 118).

"Stems erect, later decumbent, 0.7-6 feet long, 0.2-2.4 inches in diameter.  Leaf petiole 1-1.5 times as long a blade, usually green, blades usually narrowly oblong-elliptic to lanceolate, 2-3 times longer than wide, dark green to yellow-green, variegated ashy green around veins, base often unequal-sided.  Inflorescences 1-6 in axils; spathe oblong, pale green to white; spadix shortly stalked, slender, usually shorter than spathe.  Fruit ellipsoid to obovoid, yellow to bright red"  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; pp. 596-597).

Habitat/ecology:  "The species naturalizes easily" (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 597).  In Hawai‘i (O‘ahu), naturalized in wet disturbed forest area  (Imada, 2007; p. 35).

Propagation:  Seed. "Perhaps spread by bird dispersal of its yellow to bright red fruit" (Imada, 2007; p. 34).

Native range:  "From the Philippines to northeastern Sulawesi, with some varieties restriced to parts of individual islands" (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 597).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 2768 (PAP) Ornementale assez répandue.
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 118)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 89)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Imada, Clyde (2007) (pp. 34-35) "Roadside in wet disturbed forest area, adjacent to large nursery". Voucher cited: G. Staples 1227 (BISH)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 103)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 24) "Ornamental potted plant".
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 17) Vouchers cited: Baumann 7435, MacKee 41739
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Palau Islands (main island group)		Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (2010) (p. 7)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (pp. 182-183) Not uncommon in cultivation as an ornamental.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Celebes
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 11) Casual

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 cultivated	Whistler, W. Arthur (1996) (p. 31)
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Rivers, Julie (2004) (pp. 1, 6)

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	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Aglaonema commutatum, please let us know.