Clusia orthoneura Standl., Clusiaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate; score: 1 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Clusia orthoneura)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: porcelain-flower

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Medium-sized tree to 18 m high, often large epiphytes; branchlets slender; latex moderate, white; petioles 8-20 mm long, slender, narrowly margined; leaf blades subcoriaceous, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, apex acute to obtusish, base acute, lateral veins at angles of 75-80° and distally parallel; inflorescence terminal, cymose, 1-3-flowered; staminate flowers: sepals (2-) 3 pairs, decussate, the outer subpetaloid, broadly orbicular-obovate, to 3 cm long; petals 5-7, oblong-obovate, 3-4 cm long, white, rose-maculate; androphore prominent, 8-10 mm high, 12-15 mm broad, pentagonal-conic, somewhat scalloped at the summit; stamens ca 20 or fewer, commonly 2-seriate, filaments stout, terete, ca 1 cm long, outwardly curved; anthers extrorse, 4-celled, strongly coehlearform, ca 3.5 mm long; pistillate flowers: sepals 3 pairs, decussate, petals 5 (-7), oblong-obovate, ca 2.5-3.5 cm long; staminodia forming a fleshy scalloped corona 6-8 mm high and 2.5 mm thick; ovary 6-carpellate, ovules numerous, axillary; fruit somewhat ovate to somewhat obovate, 7-8 cm long, 5-6 cm broad, somewhat 6-angled; stigmas 6, sessile, acutely obovate, ca 7-8 mm long, subconnivent; seed oblong, 5-6 mm long, punctate; embryo erect, cotyledons small, hemispheric, ca 0.5 mm long." (Bassett, 1977, pp. 137-138)

Habitat/ecology:  "Trees or large epiphytes on open hillsides and pastures at 1.200-1.800 meters." (Bassett, 1977, p. 138)

Propagation:  (In cultivation) [p]ropagation is by cuttings ("From woody stem cuttings") or seed ("Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds[.] ¶Seed does not store well; sow as soon as possible[.]"). (Dave's Garden)

Native range:  "Clusia orthoneura is an epiphytic shrub native to tropical areas of South America." (MoBot)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  (no invaded habitats or impacts known by PIER; please let us know if you know of such information we should add here)

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	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Polynesian Produce Stand (year unknown) accessed 20180512; Polynesian Produce Stand is located at Sunset Beach, Oahu, per doc saved in PIER archive as "facebook (29) Polynesian Produce Stand - About.pdf" accessed 20180512

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	Maguire, Bassett (1977) (p. 138) accessed 20180512: "[Clusia orthoneura...[is]] confined to a limited geographic range in the Departments of Cundinamarca, Boyaca, Santander and Norte de Santander."
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native cultivated	U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (year unknown) accessed 20180512

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
South America (non-Pacific rim) South America (non-Pacific rim)	Bolivia	native	U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (year unknown) accessed 20180512
United States of America United States	United States	introduced cultivated	U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (year unknown) accessed 20180512
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced cultivated	University of Connecticut (year unknown) accessed 20180512: cultivated in University of Connecticut Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Biodiversity Education & Research Greenhouses

Comments:  "The wood of Clusia is highly durable, and is sometimes used for roof construction. The latex and the floral resin have antiseptic properties and have been used to seal wounds. Dry latex is sometimes burned like incense in churches. A few species are grown as house plants, or, in tropical areas, as ornamental trees and shrubs. Examples are Clusia rosea, C. major and C. orthoneura." (Wikipedia)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Clusia orthoneura, please let us know.