Batis maritima L., Bataceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: pickleweed, saltwort, turtleweed

Hawaiian: ‘akulikuli kai

Habit:  shrub

Description: 

Genus:  "Small, monoecious or dioecious, maritime shrubs 1-1.5 m tall; branches often (3) 4 (5)-angled.  Leaves simple, opposite, succulent, margins entire, sessile, stipules minute and caducous.  Flowers unisexual, in small, strobiloid, axillary or terminal spikes, each flower initially enclosed by a membranous saccate organ (perhaps calyx or bracteoles) that eventually splits into 2 or 4 lobes or only along 1 side; perianth parts 4, distinct (sometimes considered to be staminodes), absent in pistillate flowers; stamens 4, alternate with the perianth; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits; gynoecium vestigial in staminate flowers, in pistillate flowers the superior ovary 2-carpellate, 4-celled, the 2 primary cells each divided by a partition from the carpel midrib to the central axis, placentation parietal-basal, ovules 1 per cell, anatropous; stigmas 2, sessile.  Fruit drupaceous, adapted to dispersal by flotation in saltwater.  Seeds without endosperm and perisperm"  (Wagner et al., 1999, pp. 381-382).

Species:  "Plants dioecious  Flowers initally enclosed by a membranous saccate organ that eventually splits near the top into 2 or 4 lobes"  (Wagner et al., 1999, p. 382).

"Dioecious, stems prostrate to ascending, < 1.5 m, base woody. Leaf 1-2 cm, ± cylindric, linear-oblanceolate. Inflorescence: staminate 5-10 mm, ovoid-cylindric, bractlets rounded; pistillate < 1 cm in fruit, short peduncled. Staminate flower: perianth parts white, triangular; stamens exserted" (Jepson Manual online).

"Sap salty, smells like pickles"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in coastal areas"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 382); "common along coastal areas in brackish ponds and marshes and on saline soils.  Smothers low-growing coastal natives and invades anchihaline ponds"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Coastal regions of tropical and subtropical America and the Galapagos Islands" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 382).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Galápagos Islands	Galápagos Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 382)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 382)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 382)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 382)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 382)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 382)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ni‘ihau Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 382)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 382)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

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 and Florida) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
United States (continental except west coast and Florida) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

Control: 

Physical:  "National Park staff at Koloko-Honokohau remove most of the biomass by hand and treat resprouts with a propane torch"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Chemical: "Sensitive to foliar applications of tryclopyr ester at 1 lb./acre, especially with an oil carrier; glyphosate at 1 lb./acre; sulfometuron at 0.5 lb./acre and soil applications of bromacil at 5 lb./acre and hexazinone at 5 lb/acre.   [National Park staff at Koloko-Honokohau] also reported good control of resprouts with glyphosate at 1.5% Rodeo® applied to wet foliage (Chris Zimmer, HAVO)"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Additional information:
Information from the book "Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide" (Motooka et al., 2003). (PDF format).
Information sheet from the U.S. Forest Service

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

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

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

References:

Hickman, J. C. 1993. The Jepson manual: higher plants of California. U. Cal. Press, Berkeley. 1400 pp.

Motooka, Philip/Castro, Luisa/Nelson, Duane/Nagai, Guy/Ching, Lincoln. 2003. Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. 184 pp.

U. S. Government. 2009. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2009. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2009. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

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).