Barleria lupulina Lindl., Acanthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: hophead Philippine violet

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Erect shrub; stems and leaves glabrous; spines 3 in lower axils, 2 deflexed ca 1-2 cm long, 1 shorter and upright. Leaves narrowly obovate, spine-tipped; lamina 3.5-9 cm long, 0.8-1.2 cm wide; petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a terminal spike with overlapping bracts; bracts broadly ovate, 15 mm long, shortly mucronate, green with purple upper half, very shortly pubescent all over, cup-shaped-glandular at base; bracteoles lanceolate, ca 5.5 mm long, sparsely glandular. Calyx segments spine-tipped, pubescent, lanceolate; outer 10 mm long, inner ca 8 mm long. Corolla yellow, finely eglandular pubescent outside; tube ca 3 cm long; lobes ca 1 cm long. Longer stamen filaments ca 2 cm long; shorter stamens fertile. Style ca 3 cm long, glabrous. Capsule not seen" (Du Puy, 1993; p. 383).

Habitat/ecology:  Roadsides and disturbed areas, to 1000 ft. elevation.  "Persistent an invasive in open woodland habitats and along watercourses" (Smith, 2002; p. 27).

Propagation:  "Seed is spread short distances when capsules rupture and by water. Spread by humans as ornamental plantings and in discarded garden refuse" (Smith, 2002; p. 29).

Native range:  Possibly native to Mauritius, but often naturalized in tropical areas (Du Puy, 1993; p. 383).

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 Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (2005) (p. 10) Lelu, cult.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 125) Vouchers cited: DA 16756, DA 16462
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 34227) Taxon name on voucher: Barleria lupulina Lindl.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 170) Occasional escape.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 15, 84)

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 invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 96) Garden escape.
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 27)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 27)
Timor-Leste Timor-Leste	East Timor Island	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, Barbara (year unknown)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 105) Naturalized
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Comments:  Invasive in Timor and Queensland, Australia (Barbara Waterhouse, pers. com.). Cultivated and some naturalization in Hawai‘i (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 170).

Additional information:  Additional online information about Barleria lupulina is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

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

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1969. Voucher specimen #BISH 34227 (Smith, A.C. 16462).

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

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 2005. Checklist of the plants of Kosrae. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 23 pp.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1993. Flora of Australia. Vol. 50, Oceanic islands 2. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Smith, Albert C. 1991. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 5. 626 pp.

Smith, Nicholas M. 2002. Weeds of the wet/dry tropics of Australia - a field guide. Environment Centre NT, Inc. 112 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar. 2003. Report to the Republic of Palau on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 174 pp.

Swarbrick, J. T. 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: a report to Parks Australia. 101 pp. plus appendix.

U. S. Government. 2006. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. 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).

Waterhouse, Barbara. 0. Barbara Waterhouse, pers. com.