Cecropia peltata Regel, Urticaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Cecropia palmata auct.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: pop-a-gun, snakewood, trumpet tree

French: bois cannon, bois cannonsse-roux, faux ricin, papyrus géant, parasolier, pisse-roux

Spanish: guarumo, yagrumo

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees to 20 m tall or more; stems hollow, partitioned at the nodes, bearing conspicuous amplexicaul stipular scars and large, U-shaped leaf scars; leaves alternate, long-lobed, the lobes ovate, somewhat pointed, 1-5 dm wide or more, dark green and scabrous above, densely white-tomentose beneath, the stipules enclosing the leaves in bud; staminate inflorescence an umbellate cluster of spikes (3-many) 3-5.5 cm long, the flowers consisting of tubular calyces with exserted paired stamens; pistillate spikes 2-6, sessile, yellowish, in fruit 2-5.5 (9) cm long, thick and succulent" (Welsh, 1998; p. 137).

Habitat/ecology:  "Forests and forest gaps, disturbed sites.  The tree is an early successional, light demanding, fast growing species that colonizes tree-fall gaps of rainforests in the native range.  The tree quickly occupies gaps and forms dense stands.  It sprouts easily after damage"  (Weber, 2003; p. 90).

Widely established in the forests to several hundred meters elevation on Tahiti and Raiatea (Welsh, 1998; p. 137).

Propagation:  Seeds are dispersed by frugivorous birds and bats  (Weber, 2003; p. 90).

Native range:  Neotropics.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	University of California (2006) "Invasive tree native to the American tropics, spreading rapidly, not as serious as Miconia, but definitely a plant of concern".
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 62) Vouchers cited: Moore 728, BRY 26092
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (p. 25)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (p. 25)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 62) Vouchers cited: BRY 26348, BRY 26009
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (p. 25)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 2380 (PAP), J. Florence 2493 (PAP) Naturalisée. Menace pour la biodiversité.
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (p. 25)
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rapa Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (p. 25)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 254) As Cecropia palmata Willd. "Introduced to Guam for experimental planting by the Agricultural Experiment Station, around 1912; but evidently plantings were abandoned. Few if any trees still persist; I saw none between 1956 and 1965".
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 26) As Cecropia palmata Willd.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 137) Voucher cited: Sopéna in MacKee 36014

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
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)	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)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 24) Naturalised
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control: 

Physical:  Hand pull or dig out seedlings and young trees.

Chemical:  Cut larger trees and treat the stumps with herbicide (Weber, 2003; p. 90).