Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br., Apocynaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 3 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Echites scholaris L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: tang jiao shu

English: blackboard tree, deviltree, ditabark, milkwood-pine, milky-bean, milky-pine, pali-mari, palmira alstonia, white cheesewood, white-pine

French: echite

Malayan: pulai

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees to 40 m tall, glabrous. Bark gray; branchlets copiously lenticellate. Leaves in whorls of 3-10; petiole 1-3 cm; leaf blade narrowly obovate to very narrowly spatulate, 7-28 x 2-11 cm, leathery, base cuneate, apex usually rounded; lateral veins 25-50 pairs, at 80-90° to midvein. Cymes dense, pubescent; peduncle 4-7 cm. Pedicel usually as long as or shorter than calyx. Corolla white, tube 6-10 mm; lobes broadly ovate or broadly obovate, 2-4.5 mm, overlapping to left. Ovaries distinct, pubescent. Follicles distinct, linear, to 57 cm x 2-5 mm. Seeds oblong, margin ciliate, ends with tufts of hairs 1.5-2 cm"  (Flora of China online).

Habitat/ecology:  In China (native), "mixed forests, village groves; 200-1000 m"  (Flora of China online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Asia and Malesia from India to the Philippines; Queensland, Australia (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	native	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (pp. 68-69) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 60435 (PTBG), K.M. Nagata 1495 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1994) (voucher ID: BISH 645302) Taxon name on voucher: Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br.
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. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	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)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Mixed forests, village groves; 200-1000 m. SW Guangxi, S Yunnan; cultivated in Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Hunan.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 209)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Also cultivated (Java).
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Also cultivated.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Alstonia scholaris, please let us know.