Cedrela odorata L., Meliaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate further, score: 2 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Barbados cedar, cedrela, cigar box cedar, Mexican cedar, Spanish cedar, West Indian cedar

French: cèdre acajou, cèdre des barbares

Spanish: cedro cubano

Tongan: sita hina

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Tree up to 20 m high; leaves up to 80 cm long, with (5-) 6-7 (-14) pairs of leaflets; leaflets ovate to lanceolate, acute to rounded at base, acute, acuminate or obtuse at tip, 8-20 cm long, 2.5-5.5 (-8) cm broad, generally glabrous; flowers with a heavy malty odor, 6-9 mm long; petals greenish-cream in bud, opening white; fruit 2.5-4.5 cm long, septicidally 5-valved; seeds flat, chestnut-brown, about 25 mm long and 6-7 mm broad"  (Adams, 1972; p. 394).

Habitat/ecology:  Roadsides, pastures and disturbed areas to 3360 (-4000) feet elevation in Jamaica (Adams, 1972; p. 394).  Moist uplands in the Galápagos Islands (McMullen, 1999; p. 65). In Fiji, "infrequently cultivated near sea level"  (Smith, 1985; pp. 571-572). In New Caledonia, "cette espèce est représentée par de beaux arbres plantés à Yahoué. En cette localité et à Tonghoué non loin de là des pieds spontanés assez nombreux et déjà grands se sont établis dans des fourrés secondaires, et parfois aussi dans des forêts naturelles peu dégradées" (MacKee, 1994; p. 101). "The plant appears well suited to coastal, tropical and sub-tropical areas of Australia, including the monsoon zone"  (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998).

Propagation:  Wind-dispersed seeds.

Native range:  West Indies south to the Amazon region. Widely planted as a timber species.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2000) (p. 33) Not common.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 79)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	cultivated	Sykes, Bill (year unknown)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1990) (voucher ID: BISH 664588) Taxon name on voucher: Cedrela odorata L.
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Falanruw, Marjorie (1999) (pp. 4, 8) In species trial plot.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 571) Voucher cited: Smith 8249
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 160041) Taxon name on voucher: Cedrela odorata L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 571) Voucher cited: DA 16415
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 160040) Taxon name on voucher: Cedrela odorata L.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 40)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced cultivated	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2006) (p. 37)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2006) (p. 37)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2006) (p. 37) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Starr 030807-1 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2006) (p. 37)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2006) (p. 37)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands	introduced	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 100) "Potential invader".
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (pp. 100-101) Vouchers cited: MacKee 34693, MacKee 34736
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 575408) Taxon name on voucher: Cedrela odorata L.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 9)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 9)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 427970) Taxon name on voucher: Cedrela odorata L.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 56)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 59) Plantations.
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 51)

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 cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (pp. 30-31)
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)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
South Africa South Africa	South Africa (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (pp. 30-31)

Comments:  Introduced as a possible timber tree to Yap and possibly other islands in Micronesia. Introduced as a timber tree to Samoa and Tonga—should be monitored for possible spread.

An invasive species in South Africa.

Additional information:  Information on this species from "Silvics of North American", USDA Agriculture Handbook 654.
Information from the World Agroforestry Centre's AgroForestryTree Database.

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

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

References:

Adams, C. D. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica. University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. 848 pp.

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1953. Voucher specimen #BISH 160041 (Smith, A.C. 8249).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1969. Voucher specimen #BISH 160040 (Koroiveibau, D. 16415).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1978. Voucher specimen #BISH 427970 (Whistler, W.A. W 4138).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1978. Voucher specimen #BISH 575408 (McKee, H.S. 34736).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1990. Voucher specimen #BISH 664588 (Sykes, W.R. 467185).

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

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

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

McMullen, C. K. 1999. Flowering plants of the Galápagos. Comstock Pub. Assoc., Ithaca, N.Y. 370 p.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2000. Preliminary review of the invasive plants in the Pacific islands (SPREP Member Countries). In: Sherley, G. (tech. ed.). Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Samoa. 190 pp.

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

Raulerson, L. 2006. Checklist of Plants of the Mariana Islands. University of Guam Herbarium Contribution 40:1-69. .

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

Soria, M./Taylor, U./Tye, A./Wilkenson, S. R. 2002. Identificación y manajo de malezas en las isles Galapágos. Fundación Charles Darwin, Parque Nacional Galapágos. 69 pp.

Space, James C./Falanruw, Marjorie. 1999. Observations on invasive plant species in Micronesia. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. Report to the Pacific Islands Committee, Council of Western State Foresters. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 32 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. 2001. Report to the Kingdom of Tonga on invasive plant species of environmental concern.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 78 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of the Cook Islands on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 146 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.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. 2006. New plant records from the Hawaiian Archipelago. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 87:31-43.

Sykes, Bill. 0. Bill Sykes, pers. com.

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