Brucea javanica (L.) Merr., Simaroubaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Brucea amarissima (Lour.) Desv. ex Gomes; Brucea sumatrana Roxb.; Gonus amarissimus Lour.; Rhus javanica L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: ya dan zi

English: Java brucea, Macassar kerneltree

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  "Shrubs or small trees. Young branches, petioles, and inflorescences yellow tomentose. Leaves 20-40 cm; leaflets 3-15; petiolule 4-8 mm; blades ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 5-10(-13) x 2.5-5(-6.5) cm, base broadly cuneate or nearly rounded, usually somewhat oblique, margin serrate, apex acuminate, both surfaces villous, especially along veins and abaxially. Panicles 15-25(-40) cm in males, ca. half as long in females. Flowers small, dark purple, 1.5-2 mm in diam. Male flowers: pedicel slender, ca. 3 mm; sepals densely puberulent, 0.5-1 x 0.3-0.5 mm; petals sparsely puberulent or nearly glabrous, 1-2 x 0.5-1 mm; filaments subulate, ca. 0.6 mm; anthers ca. 0.4 mm. Female flowers: pedicel ca. 2.5 mm; sepals and petals same as in males; stamens rudimentary. Druparia 1-4, free, oblong-ovoid, 6-8 x 4-6 mm, gray-black when ripe; exocarp reticulately wrinkled when dry; endocarp hard bony. Seeds yellow-white, ovoid, thinly membranous, with copious oil, terribly bitter"  (Flora of China).

"An often simple-stemmed shrub or small tree 1-4 m high.  Its leaves, up to 50 cm long, have 9 or 11 leaflets (3-15 elsewhere) with blades predominantly ovate, up to 14 x 5 cm, and coarsely serrate.  The attractive small flowers have the sepals and petals rich purple and the gynoecium pale green, with purple-tinged styles.  The drupes (usually 1-3 per flower maturing) change from green through blue and at maturity become purple or black"  (Smith, 1985; p. 487).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "locally naturalized at elevations from near sea level to about 300 m in light forest, thickets, or coconut plantations, or on the edges of clearings"  (Smith, 1985; p. 487).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Ceylon through southeastern Asia to southern China and Taiwan and throughout Malesia to northern Australia; introduced into Ponape, Fiji and perhaps elsewhere.  It has apparently escaped from cultivation in Fiji and is now well naturalized at least on Taveuni"  (Smith, 1985; p. 487).

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	introduced	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 487)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 125) Most likely introduced.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced invasive	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 136) As Brucea amarissima (Lour.) Gomes. Vouchers cited: F.R. Fosberg 58525 (BISH), D.H. Lorence 9560 (COM, NY, PTBG), L. Stemmermann 2930 (BISH) Naturalized
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 487) Vouchers cited: Smith 8182, DA 8907, DA 15851, DA 11508
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 487) Voucher cited: 13227
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2011) Harold L. Lyon Arboretum
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Raulerson, L./Rinehart, A. F./Falanruw, M. C. (1996) (p. 35)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 4) Voucher: Lorence 9888 (PTBG, BNM, BISH, NY, US)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1978) (voucher ID: BNM 1401) Taxon name on voucher: Brucea javanica (L.) Merr.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1991) (voucher ID: BNM 9495) Taxon name on voucher: Brucea javanica (L.) Merr.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2008) (voucher ID: PTBG 181) Taxon name on voucher: Brucea javanica (L.) Merr.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Palau Islands (main island group)	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 125) Most likely introduced.
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. (2011)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

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)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 197) In thickets and thin forests.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 20) Vulnerable
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

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

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

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

References:

Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.). 1978. Voucher specimen #BNM1401(Canfield 604).

Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.). 1991. Voucher specimen #BNM9495(Herbst, Stemmermann & Canfield 9495).

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.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. 2010. Checklist of the vascular plants of Pohnpei with local names and uses. Allertonia, in press. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 146 pp.

Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2011. Annotated Checklist of Cultivated Plants of Hawai‘i (online searchable database).

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2008. Voucher specimen #PTBG181(David H. Lorence 9888).

Raulerson, L./Rinehart, A. F./Falanruw, M. C. 1996. A botanical reconnaissance of the proposed Compact-impact road alignment on Babeldaob Island, Republic of Palau. U. of Guam Herbarium Cont. No. 32. 78 pp.

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie. 2009. Report to the Republic of Palau: 2008 update on Invasive Plant Species. USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawai‘i. 227 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

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