Coccoloba uvifera L., Polygonaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk; score: 7 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Coccoloba uvifera)

Other Latin names:  Coccolobis uvifera (L.) Crantz; Polygonum uviferum L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Jamaican kino, platterleaf, sea grape, sea-grape, shore sea-grape

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  "Evergreen shrub or small tree to 20' tall. Lvs nearly sessile; blades ±circular, usu broader than long, 3-8" x 5-12", thickly leathery, base cordate, apex rounded to notched, veins reddish. Infl racemes to 12" long. Flws white, fragrant.
Frt broadly ellipsoid to ±globose, to 0.75" ⌀, enclosed in fleshy, purplish floral receptacle, pulp astringent to sweet. Achene smooth, obtuse to sharply angled, hard." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 462)

Habitat/ecology:  "Native to warm parts of America where it can be found in thickets along sandy shores (In Gardens of HawaiiNeal 1965)." (Midway Atoll Vascular Plant Checklist, p. 63)

"Native to sandy beaches and coastal strand . . . sea-grape is widely cultivated as a salt-tolerant plant for beach locations. . . . Sea-grape prefers sandy soils and is extremely tolerant of salt exposure, strong winds, and intense sun. It is used for xeriscaping in southern Florida." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 463)

Propagation:  "Propagation is usually from seed, although selected cultivars must be propagated by cuttings or air layers to preserve their character." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 463)

Native range:  "Native to warm parts of America where it can be found in thickets along sandy shores (In Gardens of HawaiiNeal 1965)." (Midway Atoll Vascular Plant Checklist, p. 63)

"Native to sandy beaches and coastal strand from Florida to northern Brazil. . . ." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 462)

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
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
French Polynesia French Polynesia Islands	French Polynesia Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Kiribati Kiribati	Kiribati (Republic of)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Marshall Islands Marshall Islands	Ebeye Islet		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Pacific Polynesia	Polynesia (U.S.-administered islands)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Midway Atoll		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Central America Central America (non-Pacific rim)	Belize	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Caribbean Islands Caribbean Islands	Antigua and Barbuda	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Caribbean Islands Caribbean Islands	Barbados	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Caribbean Islands Caribbean Islands	Dominican Republic	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Caribbean Islands Caribbean Islands	Grenada	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Caribbean Islands Caribbean Islands	Guadeloupe	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Caribbean Islands Caribbean Islands	Martinique	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
Caribbean Islands Caribbean Islands	Montserrat	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where
United States of America United States	United States	invasive	Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 93) (X)=present as a weed (but importance rank unknown)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native cultivated	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180615, ref. says "Cultivated" but doesn't specify where

Comments:  Present in Hawaii (Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems in Hawaii, p. 219; Midway Atoll Vascular Plant Checklist, p. 63)

Used as fruit-bearing windbreak component in Pacific Islands (Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands, p. 216)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Coccoloba uvifera, please let us know.