Clerodendrum japonicum (Thunb.) Sweet, Lamiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Clerodendrum squamatum Vahl; Volkameria japonica Thunb.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: cheng tong

English: glorybower

Hawaiian: pikake hohono

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Erect shrub up to about 2 m high. Branches rather thick, puberulent when young. Leaves with petioles 2-10 (-18) cm long; blade orbicular or nearly so, 7-25 cm across, shortly acuminate at apex, deeply cordate at base, very shallowly toothed with distinctly apiculate teeth, puberulent above only on veins, densely lepidote beneath with rather large thick peltate scales, 5- or 7-nerved at base without axillary glands, the lateral nerves above the base about 6 on each side. Inflorescence a large terminal rather open panicle, or with some branches in upper axils, up to 30 cm long and wide; peduncle about 6 cm long, reddish. Flowers odorless, bright red, on slender pedicels up to 2 cm long; calyx bright red, cup-shaped, deeply 5-fid, the lobes thin, triangular-lanceolate, subulate-tipped, 1 cm long, lepidote and puberulent; corolla-tube 2 cm long, the 5 lobes 10-12 mm long, red; stamens exserted 1.5 cm; style up to 4 cm long" (Walker, 1976; p. 891).

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Fruit is dispersed by alien frugivorous birds.

Native range:  India through southeastern Asia; widely cultivated in tropics and subtropics (GRIN).

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. 34)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Smith, Clifford W. (1998) C.W. Smith
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island		Smith, Clifford W. (1998) C.W. Smith
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced invasive	Toyoda, Takeshi (2003) (p. 285) Naturalized
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)

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)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Thickets in valleys, along streams, in grassy openings; 100-1200 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangsu, S Jiangxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, S Zhejiang.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 230)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Celebes, Java
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 188)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Thickets in valleys, along streams, in grassy openings; 100-1200 m.
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Clerodendrum japonicum, please let us know.