Ardisia crenata Sims, Primulaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 10 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: zhu sha gen

English: Australian holly, coral ardisia, coral berry, hen's eyes, Hilo holly, scratchthroat, spiceberry

French: arbre à noél, baie corail, bois de noél

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Small erect shrubs up to 1.5 m tall, unbranched except for flowering branches, glabrous throughout. Leaves alternate, coriaceous or chartaceous, elliptic-lanceolate or oblanceolate, 6-20 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, with 12-18 pairs of lateral nerves, the nerves slightly raised on lower surface, merging into a usually distinct marginal nerve, this often hidden beneath the revolute margins, margins revolute, crisped, and also usually undulate, apex acute to acuminate, base cuneate, petioles 6-10 mm long. Flowering branches lateral or axillary, up to 10 (-16) cm long, with few leaves, inflorescences simple and umbellate or cymose, principal rays 2-4 cm long, pedicels 0.5-1 cm long, elongating in fruit; sepals oblong-ovate to lanceolate, ca. 1.5 mm long, glabrous, sparsely glandular punctate; corolla lobes white or pinkish, ovate, glandular punctate. Drupes dark red, globose, 5-8 mm in diameter, glandular punctate" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 932).

Habitat/ecology:  "Forest, tropical hammocks, riverbanks.  In the native range, the shrub is commonly found in closed forests, valleys, and dark damp lplaces from 100-2,400 m elevation.  Where invasive, it becomes dominant in the understorey and forms dense stands with more than 100 plants per square meter, reducing light and native species richness, and preventing the growth of native tree seedlings.  Mature plants are often surrounded by a dense cover of their own seedlings.  The plant grows best in moist soils and vigorously resprouts after cutting or fire"  (Weber, 2003; p. 53).  "Prefers rich, well-drained soils in a partially shaded position" (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 94).  Moist forest and open areas.

In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in disturbed mesic valleys and forest" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 932).

Propagation:  Bird-dispersed seeds.

Native range:  India, China, East Indies.

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		Sykes, Bill (year unknown)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 932)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2004) (pp. 13-14) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer, F. Duvall & L. Nelson H30220 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 932)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2010)

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)	New South Wales	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 94)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 94)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2010)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2010)
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2010)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2010)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2010)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 15) Critically endangered
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2010)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2010)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2010)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	MacDonald, I. A. W./Thebaud, C./Strahm, W. A./Strasberg, D. (1991) (pp. 51-61)
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Très envahissant"
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Kueffer, C./Lavergne, C. (2004) (p. 4)
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Baret, Stephane/Rouget, Mathieu/Richardson, David M./Lavergne, Christophe/Egoh, Benis/Dupont, Joel/Strasberg, Dominique (2006) (p. 758)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, D./Sussman, R. W. (1988) (pp. 187-204)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced invasive	Kueffer, C./Mauremootoo, J. (2004) (p. 6)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced invasive	Weber, Ewald (2003) (p. 53)

Comments:  Often grown as an ornamental. On list of plants to be excluded from French Polynesia.

See also A. elliptica

Control: 

Physical:  "Seedlings and saplings can be hand pulled if soil disturbance is not a problem".

Chemical:  "Glyphosate can be used to spray dense seedling populations.  Larger trees are cut and the stumps treated with herbicide, or treated with a basal bark application of triclopyr"  (Weber, 2003; p. 53).

Additional information:
Photos and additional information at University of Florida, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.
Information from the book "Identification and biology of non-native plants in Florida's natural areas" (PDF format).

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

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

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

References:

Baret, Stephane/Rouget, Mathieu/Richardson, David M./Lavergne, Christophe/Egoh, Benis/Dupont, Joel/Strasberg, Dominique. 2006. Current distribution and potential extent of the most invasive alien plant species on La Réunion (Indian Ocean, Mascarene islands). Austral Ecology (2006) 31, 747-758.

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

Kueffer, C./Lavergne, C. 2004. Case studies on the status of invasive woody plant species in the western Indian Ocean. 4. R233;union. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Forestry Department, Forest Resources Division, Forest Resources Development Service, Working Paper FBS/4-4E. 37 pp.

Kueffer, C./Mauremootoo, J. 2004. Case studies on the status of invasive woody plant species in the western Indian Ocean. 3. Mauritius (islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Forestry Department, Forest Resources Division, Forest Resources Development Service, Working Paper FBS/4-3E. 35 pp.

Langeland, K. A./Burks, K. Craddock. eds. 1998. Identification and biology of non-native plants in Florida's natural areas. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida. 165 pp.

Large, M. F./Cronk, Q. C. B. 1996. Ardisia: the next pest? Aliens 4:4.

Lavergne, Christophe. 2006. List des especes exotiques envahissantes a La Reunion. Unpublished manuscript (Excel file). .

Lorence, D./Sussman, R. W. 1988. Diversity, density, and invasion in a Mauritian wet forest. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Garden 25:187-204.

MacDonald, I. A. W./Thebaud, C./Strahm, W. A./Strasberg, D. 1991. Effects of alien plant invasions on native vegetation remnants on La Reunion (Mascarenes Islands, Indian Ocean). Environmental Conservation 18 (1):51-61.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2000. Preliminary review of the invasive plants in the Pacific islands (SPREP Member Countries). In: Sherley, G. (tech. ed.). Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Samoa. 190 pp.

Neal, Marie C. 1965. In Gardens of Hawaii. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication 50, Bishop Museum Press. 924 pp.

Oppenheimer, Hank L. 2004. New Hawaiian plant records for 2003. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2003. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 79:8-20.

Sykes, Bill. 0. Bill Sykes, pers. com.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2010. 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.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).