Citharexylum caudatum L., Verbenaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: fiddlewood, juniper berry

Spanish: pendula de sierra

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Large shrubs or small trees up to 20 m tall; branches nearly terete, glabrous.  Leaves somewhat leathery, oblong to obovate or elliptic-oblanceolate, 7-16 cm long, 3.5-5 cm wide, glabrous, upper surface glossy, lower surface dull, apex rounded or obtuse, base cuneate, petioles green, 1-2 cm long.  Flowers in narrow, elongate-recurved racemes 4-10 cm long, pedicels usually 2-5 mm long; calyx campanulate, ca. 3 mm long, the rim unlobed and truncate in fruit; corolla white.  Fruit purplish black, oblong-globose, ca. 5-8 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1317).

Habitat/ecology:  This evergreen shrub to small tree forms dense thickets in wet habitats. It has many characteristics in common with Citharexylum spinosum (Smith, 1985; p. 188).  In Hawai‘i, "cultivated and now naturalized and rapidly spreading via bird dispersal"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1317); displacing existing vegetation in mesic to humid lowland forests and other non-cropland"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Propagation:  "Prolific seeder, spread by birds"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Native range:  Mexico and Central America to northern South America and the West Indies (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1317).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 26) Vouchers cited: Oppenheimer H70137 (BISH, PTBG), Starr & Martz 010801-2 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2004) (p. 28) Voucher cited: Starr & Starr 020225-2 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (1999) (p. 14) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Martz 980402-49
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1317, 1895)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	Hong Kong	native cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 229)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Control: 

Chemical:  2,4-D or triclopyr should be effective.

Additional information:
Excerpt from the book "Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide" (Motooka et al., 2003). (PDF format).
Report (PDF format) from US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station, Hawaii "Plants of Hawaii".
Fact sheet from "Common forest trees of Hawaii" (PDF format).

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

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

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

References:

Little, Elbert L./Skolmen, Roger G. 1989. Common forest trees of Hawaii (native and introduced). USDA Agriculture Handbook 679. Washington, D.C. 377 pp. + plates.

Motooka, Philip/Castro, Luisa/Nelson, Duane/Nagai, Guy/Ching, Lincoln. 2003. Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. 184 pp.

Motooka, Philip/Ching, Lincoln/Nagai, Guy. 2002. Herbicidal Weed Control Methods for Pasture and Natural Areas of Hawaii. Cooperative Extension Service, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai‘i. CTAHR free publication WC-8.

Oppenheimer, Hank L. 2003. New plant records from Maui and Hawai‘i Counties. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2001-2002. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 73:3-30.

Smith, Clifford W. 1985. Impact of Alien Plants on Hawai‘i's Native Biota. In: Stone, Charles P. and Scott, J. Michael, eds. Hawai‘i's terrestrial ecosystems: preservation and Management. Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii, Manoa.

Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. 1999. New plant records from East Maui for 1998. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1998. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 59:11-15.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. 2004. New plant records from the Hawaiian Archipelago. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2003. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 79:20-30.

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

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

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).

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.