Cardiospermum grandiflorum Sw., Sapindaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 18 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Cardiospermum barbicule Baker; Cardiospermum hirsutum Willd.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: balloon vine, heartseed, heartseed vine

Maori (Cook Islands): kopūpū takaviri?

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Perennial vines; stems ribbed, branched, yellow short-villous, sometimes sparsely so.  Leaves biternate, leaflets rhombic-ovate, ovate, or lanceolate, 2.5-10 cm long, the terminal one of each primary leaf division larger than those of lateral pair, sparsely to moderately yellowish pilose, more densely so along the veins on lower surface, margins coarsely and somewhat irregularly lobed.  Peduncles 7-14.5 cm long; outer sepals broadly obovate, ca. 2 mm long, the inner pair obovate, 8-9 mm long; petals cream to pale yellow, obovate, 7-9 mm long, all with basal scales and crests; nectary disk with 2 erect lobes.  Capsules ellipsoid to ellipsoid-ovoid, membranous, strongly inflated, 3-angled, 4.5-6.5 cm long, glabrous or nearly so.  Seeds subglobose, 6-7 mm in diameter, aril suborbicular"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1226).

See also Cardiospermum halicacabum.

Habitat/ecology:  Often cultivated.  "Forests, riparian habitats, rocky places.  This fast growing plant forms large and dense smothering curtains of tangled stems that impede the growth of supporting vegetation, eventually killing trees by the heavy weight.  Seedlings of native shrubs and trees are unable to establish under the stands of this plant.  The plant tolerates periodic inundation and the vigorous growth destroys riparian forests in Australia"  (Weber, 2003; p. 82).  "Favours gullies, creeklines and the margins of rainforest, grows rapidly into the tops of trees, forms a thick curtain of stems, excludes light, harbours pests and diseases. Weight contributes to canopy collapse and ecosystem destruction"  (Weeds of Blue Mountains bushland).  In Hawai‘i, "occasionally cultivated, escaping and apparently naturalized in Mānoa Valley and in downtown Honolulu"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1226).

Propagation:  Seed, dispersed by water and wind (Weber, 2003; p. 82).  "Often dumped on bushland edges. The capsules can be carried by wind and float freely on water, dispersing the plant along waterways. Also regrows from root fragments"  (Weeds of Blue Mountains bushland).

Native range:  Neotropics; also cultivated and naturalized (GRIN).

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	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 88)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 6) Voucher: Flynn 6986 (PTBG, BISH, US)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 332) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum grandiflorum
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 137)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 9266 (PAP) Introduite, paraît s'éé.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1988) (voucher ID: BISH 558685) Taxon name on voucher: Cardiospermum grandiflorum Sw.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1226) Voucher cited: Livingston s. n. (BISH)

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	Harley, Barbara (2009)
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	Weber, Ewald (2003) (p. 82)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 2)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Comments:  Very invasive and widespread on Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

Invasive in Australia.

Control: 

Physical:  Hand pull or dig out smaller plants, making sure to remove the taproot.

Chemical:  "1.  Cut and paint stump (spring-summer): glyphosate (333ml/L).  2. Cut stems at waist height (dense infestations), leaving foliage up supporting vegetation in place to rot away. Leave the stems to resprout then spray the foliage with glyphosate (10ml/L)"  (Weedbusters New Zealand).