Chrysobalanus icaco L., Chrysobalanaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: coco plum

Fijian: apolo

French: icacier, icaque, icaquier, prune colon, prunier coton

Spanish: ciruela de algodōn, icaco

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrub 1-3 m or bushy tree 2-6(-10) m high; leaves elliptical to obovate, rounded and often emarginate at tip, 3-10 cm long, 2.5-7 cm broad; cymes axillary and terminal, pubescent, 3-6 cm long; sepals (4-) 5; petals (4-) 5, white, about 5 mm long, perigynous; carpel solitary, protogynous; drupe green turning brownish-purple and then black, subglobose to obovoid, 1.5-3 cm in diameter, angled when dry."  (Adams, 1972)"An evergreen shrub 3 to 5 feet high, rarely a tree to 30 feet high, with thin, scaly, brown-gray bark  It is grown ornamentally for its attractive leaves, which are alternate, rounded, shiny, think, to 3 inches long, and for its sweet, rather tasteless and dry fruits, which are sometimes preserved.  The fruit is round, white to purple-black, an inch or more in diameter, and contains a ridged stone.  Flowers are small, white, and clustered"  (Neal, 1965).

Habitat/ecology:  Grows up to elevations of about 500 m.  Forms dense thickets.  In Fiji, "infrequently cultivated but often locally abundantly naturalized along roadsides near sea level, on the upper edge of beaches, and in thickets on the inner margin of mangrove swamps"  (Smith, 1985; pp. 43-44).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical America.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 43-44) Vouchers cited: Smith 9611, DA 11458, DA 10100, DA 16493, Greenwood 1027, Greenwood 1027A, DA 7503, DA 10090, DA 10091, Meebold 21388, DA 1286, H.B.R. Parham 20
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1956) (voucher ID: BISH 14487) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1956) (voucher ID: BISH 14488) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1956) (voucher ID: BISH 14489) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (year unknown) (voucher ID: BISH 14490) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 172792) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1937) (voucher ID: BISH 172793) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1974) (voucher ID: BISH 598432) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1987) (voucher ID: BISH 541730) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 64) Voucher cited: Fosberg 61130
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 604909) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 64) Voucher cited: Gagne 1470
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1977) (voucher ID: BISH 422435) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 492158) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 64) Voucher cited: Grant 5448
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1931) (voucher ID: BISH 18116) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 493292) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysobalanus icaco L.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	cultivated	Neal, Marie C. (1965)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
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)
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)

Comments:  A problem on the island of Raiatea, French Polynesia. Also present on Tahiti.

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

Taxonomic information about Chrysobalanus icaco 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). 0. Voucher specimen #BISH 14490 (Parham, J.W. 3994).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1931. Voucher specimen #BISH 18116 (M.L.Grant 5448).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1937. Voucher specimen #BISH 172793 (A.Meebold 21388).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1953. Voucher specimen #BISH 172792 (A.C.Smith 9611).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1956. Voucher specimen #BISH 14487 (Parham, J.W. 10091).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1956. Voucher specimen #BISH 14488 (Parham, J.W. 10100).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1956. Voucher specimen #BISH 14489 (Parham, J.W. 10090).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1974. Voucher specimen #BISH 598432 (B.G.Decker 2675).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1977. Voucher specimen #BISH 422435 (Gagné, B.H. 1470).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1981. Voucher specimen #BISH 604909 (Fosberg, F.R. 61130).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1982. Voucher specimen #BISH 492158 (J.Florence 3530).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1982. Voucher specimen #BISH 493292 (J.Florence 2393).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1987. Voucher specimen #BISH 541730 (J.Florence 8500).

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

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

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

Thaman, R. R./Tuiwawa, M. 1999. Invasive, potentially invasive and adventive alien plant species of Fiji: a preliminary analysis of their status and measures required for their control. Preliminary draft discussion paper prepared for the SPREP Regional Invasive Species Strategy for the South Pacific Islands Region: Regional Workshop, Nadi, Fiji, 26 September-1 October 1999.

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.