Castilla elastica Sesse, Moraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Castilloa elastica Cerv.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Mexican rubber tree, Panama rubber tree, uletree

Samoan: pulu mamoe, pulu mamoe

Spanish: árbol del ule

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees 5-10 m tall, the young branches densely hirsute with spreading (less frequently appressed) golden hairs, eventually glabrate.  Leaves oblong-obovate, more or less cordate and usually not strongly inequilateral at the base, subcuspidate-acuminate at the tip, 20-30 cm long, 10-14 cm broad, membranaceous, minutely and closely ciliate-dentate, both surfaces golden spreading-hirsute but particularly beneath, the petioles about 1 cm long; stipules 3-6 cm long.  Inflorescences in clusters of 2-4 in catenate series of the upper leaf-axils, occasionally solitary.  Staminate heads conduplicate-reniform, about 1.5 cm long and 2 cm broad, the peduncle about 1 cm long.  Fruiting heads thickly discoid, 4-5 cm in diameter, about 1.5 cm thick, sesile or subsessile, the component flowers half or more coherent, developing an orange or reddish pulp at maturity."  (Woodson and Schery, 1960; p. 180).

"A... tree ...reaching a height of 45 to 150 feet, noted for its abundant milky sap, which yields the Panama rubber of commerce.  It has spreading or drooping branches, the young ones woolly-hairy.  The leaves are coarse, densely hairy on both sides, short-stemmed, arranged in two rows, the blade oblong, broadest in the upper half, 8 to 18 by 3 to 6 inches, base heart-shaped, tip pointed, with about 18 pairs of prominent veins.  Inconspicuous female flowers in short-stemmed heads at leaf axils develop into fruit about 1.5 inches in diameter, consisting of a cluster of many red individuals about 0.75 inch long, with more or less sweet, edible pulp."  (Neal, 1965)

Habitat/ecology:  Moist forests at low elevations (Woodson and Schery, 1960; p. 180). In its native habitat, will become established in undisturbed rainforest, thus posing a threat to intact native forests.

Propagation:  Seeds spread by birds (Swarbrick, 1997; p. 24).

Native range:  Southern Mexico and Central America to Colombia and perhaps southward.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island		Togia, Tavita (year unknown)
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2000) (pp. 4, 12)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 147-148)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 185) Voucher cited: Florence 5029
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 147-148)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1967) (voucher ID: BISH 22299) Taxon name on voucher: Castilla elastica Sesse
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 574260) Taxon name on voucher: Castilla elastica Sesse
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 607299) Taxon name on voucher: Castilla elastica Sesse
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1993) (voucher ID: BISH 667932) Taxon name on voucher: Castilla elastica Sesse
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 185) Voucher cited: Moore 726
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 147-148)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 147-148)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands		Neal, Marie C. (1965)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 5)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 5)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 28828) Taxon name on voucher: Castilla elastica Sesse
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1929) (voucher ID: BISH 161309) Taxon name on voucher: Castilla elastica Sesse
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1979) (voucher ID: BISH 439270) Taxon name on voucher: Castilla elastica Sesse
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Malakula (Malekula) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1971) (voucher ID: BISH 406163) Taxon name on voucher: Castilla elastica Sesse

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)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 99)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

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) (pp. 24, 108) From remnants from plantations.

Comments:  Naturalized on the western end of Tutuila, American Samoa, near Maloata (also reported to be found near ‘Ili‘ili) (Space & Flynn, 2000). Very invasive and widespread on both Upolu and Savai‘i, Samoa (Space & Flynn, 2002).

Control: 

Chemical: "Pending the results of field trials seedlings and young trees should be basal bark sprayed with 10% Garlon 600 in diesel oil" (Swarbrick, 1997; p. 24).

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

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

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1929. Voucher specimen #BISH 161309 (Christophersen, E. 319).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1967. Voucher specimen #BISH 22299 (Smith, H.M. 75).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1968. Voucher specimen #BISH 28828 (Bristol, M.L. 2301).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1971. Voucher specimen #BISH 406163 (Hallé, N. 6462).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1979. Voucher specimen #BISH 439270 (Cox, P.A. 209).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1982. Voucher specimen #BISH 607299 (Fosberg, F.R. 63662).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1983. Voucher specimen #BISH 574260 (Florence, J. 5029).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1993. Voucher specimen #BISH 667932 (Florence 11853).

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

Florence, J. 1997. Flore de la Polynésie française, Vol. 1. Paris. Editions de l'Orstom, Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération, Collection Faune et Flore Tropicales 34. 393 pp.

Neal, Marie C. 1965. In Gardens of Hawaii. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication 50, Bishop Museum Press. 924 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2000. Observations on invasive plant species in American Samoa.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 51 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of Samoa on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 83 pp.

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

Togia, Tavita. 0. Tavita Togia, pers. com.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Woodson, R. E./Schery, R. W. 1999. Moraceae. Flora of Panama. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 47 (4/2).