Arundina graminifolia (D.Don) Hochr., Orchidaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 11 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Bletia graminifolia D. Don

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: zhu ye lan

English: bamboo orchid

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Tufted terrestrial herbs 10-25 dm tall, arising from short horizontal rhizomes; stems usually crowded together, completely enclosed by a series of persistent sheathing leaf bases.  Leaves firm, grass-like, linear-lanceolate, 8-30 cm long, 0.5-1.5 (-2) cm wide, midrib impressed on upper surface, conspicuously raised on lower surface, margins entire, sheaths 2-4 cm long.  Flowers in terminal, racemose or paniculate inflorescences 10-70 cm long, peduncles slender, dark green or reddish purple, glabrous, bracts erect, broadly ovate, 3-7 mm long; sepals plae pink to rose, the dorsal one ascending, elliptic to elliptic-obovate, 3-4.5 cm long, ventral sepals appressed to surface of labellum, elliptic, 3-4.5 cm long; lateral petals similar in color to sepals, spreading or reflexed horizontally, broadly elliptic to obovate, 2.5-3.8 cm long; labellum pale to dark reddish purple, ± with yellow markings on the throat, 4-5 cm long, entire or weakly 3-lobed, middle lobe undulate, deeply cleft, margins irregularly crenate.  Capsules pendent, cylindrical, 6-ribbed, 3.5-5.5 cm long" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1471).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized and sometimes locally common in disturbed, mesic to wet forest, and as a pioneer on lava fields, 75-920 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1471).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southeastern Asia, India, Malesia, and a number of Pacific islands (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1471). "India, southern China, southeastern Asia, and Malesia as far as Celebes. The species is widely cultivated and has become naturalized in parts of the Pacific" (Smith, 1991; p. 402).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Cook Islands	Cook Islands	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 402-403) Vouchers cited: DA 16709, DA 12294 Sparsely naturalized.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 116)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1471)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1471)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1471) East Maui.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L./Bartlett, R. T. (2000) (p. 7) West Maui. Vouchers cited: Oppenheimer H119812 (BISH), Oppenheimer H89910 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1471)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 45) Rare.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 370)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 16) Common
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Ching-I Peng, ed. (2013) "Usually in sunny grasslands or waste places below 700 m".
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Arundina graminifolia, please let us know.