Cinchona pubescens Vahl, Rubiaceae

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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:  Cinchona succirubra Pavón ex Klotzsch

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: ji na shu

English: quinine tree, red cinchona, red quinine tree

French: arbre à quinine, quinquina rouge

Spanish: cascarilla, cinchona, hoja ahumada, hoja de zambo, quinoa, roja, rosada

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Tree to ca. 12 m tall.  Leaves opposite, simple; blade broadly ovate, ca. 10-22 cm long, upper surface shiny green at first, turning red with age, margins entire.  Flowers in terminal panicles; corolla pinkish, salverform with 5 lobes, ca. 1.5 cm long, throat covered with whitish pink hairs; stamens 5.  Fruit a capsule, oblong, 1-2 cm long; seeds numerous, winged."  (McMullen, 1999; pp. 91-92)

"Tree to 10 m tall and 20 cm diameter at breast height.  Young branches sparsely to densely pubescent.  Stipules sparsely pubescent throughout, 1.2-2.6 x 0.5-1.5 cm; petioles 1.2-5 cm long, sparsely puberulent or hirtellous; leaf blades thin, papyraceous when dry, 8.3-23 x 5.3-21 cm (often larger on vegetative shoots), elliptic or ovate to suborbicular (length/width 1.1-2.1), cuneate to rounded or truncate (occasionally subcordate) at base, obtuse at apex, secondary veins 7-11 pairs, level to prominulous above, prominulous beneath, tertiary venation ± distinctly visible, adaxial surface usually matte, usually ± puberulent or hirtellous on midrib and secondary veins, sometimes also on intervenous surface, sometimes entirely glabrous, abaxial surface ± puberulent or hirtellous on veins beneath, usually also on intervenous surface, margin not revolute, domatia absent (or very indicting, pouch-shaped).  Inflorescence axes ± densely pubescent.  Calyx 1.3-2.8 mm long with lobes 0.4-1.2 mm, sparsely to densely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, without colleters; corolla pinkish or purplish, paler at base, tube 8.8-14 mm long, glabrous or sparsely villous close to stamen attachments, lobes 3.9-6 mm long; filaments attached 3.5-6.7 mm above base of corolla tube (35-48% of tube length), 1.1-2.5 mm long in longistylous flowers, 4.4-5.5 mm in brevistylous ones, anthers 2.8-3.9 x 0.6-0.9 mm; ovary densely pubescent, 1.8-3.3 x 1.3-2.4 mm; style 8.5-9.7 mm long in longistylous flowers, 3.5-4.7 in brevistylous ones, stigmatic lobes 1.5-3.1 (-4.1) mm.  Capsules ellipsoid to subcylindrical, 13-41 x 5-7 mm, with thin, papyraceous to chartaceous endocarp.  Seeds 6.9-8.5 x 2.2-2.8 mm including wing"  (Andersson & Taylor, 1994; pp. 54-58).

Habitat/ecology:  "Forests, mesic sites.  The tree is native in neotropical forests where it is usually not a dominant species.  Where invasive, it becomes dominant and reaches high densities.  The tree shades out native plants with its large leaves.  It grows rapidly and has a wide ecological tolerance.  The tree is shade tolerant; seedlings establish well even in strong shade"  (Weber, 2003; p. 106).

In Hawai‘i, planted and "at least sparingly naturalized" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1120). Moist uplands in the Galápagos Islands (McMullen, 1999; pp. 91-92).

Propagation:  Wind dispersed seeds.

Native range:  Costa Rica to Venezuela and Bolivia, widely cultivated.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 94) "Potential invader".
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (pp. 231-232) Vouchers cited: Sachet 2613, Fosberg & Stone 61304 Sparingly naturalized.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 491692) Taxon name on voucher: Cinchona pubescens Vahl
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1988) (voucher ID: BISH 583630) Taxon name on voucher: Cinchona pubescens Vahl
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1988) (voucher ID: BISH 583631) Taxon name on voucher: Cinchona pubescens Vahl
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1988) (voucher ID: BISH 583632) Taxon name on voucher: Cinchona pubescens Vahl
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 599274) Taxon name on voucher: Cinchona pubescens Vahl
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 599276) Taxon name on voucher: Cinchona pubescens Vahl
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 599277) Taxon name on voucher: Cinchona pubescens var. succiruba (Pav. ex Klotzsch)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 599744) Taxon name on voucher: Cinchona pubescens Vahl
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1979) (voucher ID: PTBG 37190) Taxon name on voucher: Cinchona pubescens Vahl
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1120) Voucher cited: Jacobi & Bertrand 1138 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1120)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1120)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) Cultivated. Guangxi (Nanning), Hainan, Taiwan, S. Yunnan.
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	Andersson, Lennart/Taylor, Charlotte M. (1994) (p. 58)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	Andersson, Lennart/Taylor, Charlotte M. (1994) (p. 58)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	Andersson, Lennart/Taylor, Charlotte M. (1994) (pp. 54-58)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	Andersson, Lennart/Taylor, Charlotte M. (1994) (p. 58)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	Andersson, Lennart/Taylor, Charlotte M. (1994) (p. 58)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) Cultivated.

Comments:  Very invasive in the Galápagos Islands. Supposedly introduced experimentally to Palau by the Japanese (Fosberg et al, 1993; p. 54), but not now present.

Control: 

Physical: Grubbing, but root fragments can regrow.

Chemical: Treating cut stumps with herbicides (such as Tordon) can prevent regrowth.

Additional information:
Report (PDF format) from US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station, Hawaii "Plants of Hawaii".
Information from the Global Invasive Species Database.

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

Information about Cinchona pubescens as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

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

References:

Andersson, Lennart/Taylor, Charlotte M. 1994. Rubiaceae-Cinchoneae-Coptosapelteae [162(1-4).]. Flora of Ecuador 50, 114 pp.

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1981. Voucher specimen #BISH 491692 (Fosberg, F.R. 61304).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1981. Voucher specimen #BISH 599274 (Fosberg, F.R. 61302).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1981. Voucher specimen #BISH 599276 (Fosberg, F.R. 61304).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1981. Voucher specimen #BISH 599277 (Fosberg, F.R. 61304).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1983. Voucher specimen #BISH 599744 (Sachet, M.-H. 2613).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1988. Voucher specimen #BISH 583630 (Gagné, B.H. s.n.).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1988. Voucher specimen #BISH 583631 (Gagné, B.H. s.n.).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1988. Voucher specimen #BISH 583632 (Gagné, B.H. s.n.).

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Comité français de l'Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature en France. 2010. Les espéces envahissantes en outre-mer (online resource).

Cronk, Q. C. B./Fuller, J. L. 2001. Plant invaders. Earthscan Publications, Ltd., London. 241 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L. 1993. Flora of Micronesia. Part 5. Bignoniaceae--Rubiaceae. Smithsonian Contrib. Bot. 81: 1-135.

Lawesson, J. E. 1990. Alien plants in the Galapagos Islands: a summary. Monogr. Sys. Bot. Missouri Bot. Garden 32:15-20.

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.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 1979. Voucher specimen #PTBG37190(Art Whistler W 4253).

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.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.

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.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).