Coix lacryma-jobi Linnaeus, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  More information needed, score: 4 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: bilen

English: adlay, adlay millet, Job's tears

Fijian: sila

French: larmes de Job, larmilles

Hawaiian: kūkaekōlea, ‘ohe‘ohe, pū'ohe'ohe, pūpū kōlea

Kwara‘ae: sila

Maori (Cook Islands): poepoe

Niuean: tagataga, tangatanga

Palauan: demairuuch, tauiir

Samoan: sagasaga, sagisagi, sanasana

Spanish: camandula, lágrima de nossa senhora, lagrima de San Pedro, lágrimas de Job, lágrimas de San Pedro, Santa Juana

Tahitian: poepoe

Tongan: hana, hana tuikahoa

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Robust annuals; culms 100-300 cm tall, many-branched.  Sheaths loose, terete, striate, glabrous; ligule membranous, 1.5-2 mm long, margins erose and minutely fringed; blades 10-50 cm long, 20-50 cm wide, glabrous but rather coarse. Inflorescences numerous, terminal and axillary, each consisting of separate pistillate and staminate racemes, cupules borne on long stout peduncles from axis of upper leaves, white or bluish, bony, lustrous, globose-ovoid, 5-15 mm long; upper pistillate floret fertile, lemma scale-like, 3-5-nerved; palea reduced to a small scale; staminodia 3; staminate raceme 3-5 cm long, the spikelets 7-10 mm long, glumes equal to the spikelet in length, coriaceous-membranous, broadly lanceolate, glabrous, smooth, lemma membranous, lanceolate, 3-nerved, glabrous, palea similar in shape and texture to lemma, 2-nerved.  Caryopsis broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 2.5-5 mm long."  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1517).

Description from World Grass Species.

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized and common along streams and ditches, but also found on slopes in disturbed mesic forest, 0-610 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1517).  In Fiji, "common...from sea level to about 900 m.  It occurs in damp places, along edges of streams, crest clearings, waste places and along roadsides." (Smith, 1979; p. 388). In New Caledonia, "peut-être d'introduction pré-européenne. Peu planté à présent; largement répandu et parfois commun en lieux humides" (MacKee, 1994; p. 58). "Occasional to common in wetlands, wetland crops, and roadside ditches" (Whistler, 1988; p. 49).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical Asia, naturalized throughout the tropics and probably an early introduction to the Pacific.  "An aboriginal introduction to Western Polynesia" (Whistler, 1988; p. 49).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island		Whistler, W. A. (1990) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 9283, Whistler 1361, Whistler 3310
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 90)
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Anon. (1988) (p. 1)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Glassman, S. F. (1952) (p. 126) Voucher cited: Glassman 2412 (US)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Matuku Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 388-389)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Moala Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 388-389)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ngau Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 388-389)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 388-389)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 388-389)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 388-389) Vouchers cited: Tothill F.428, DA 3500
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Mbalavu Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 388-389)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 388-389) Vouchers cited: Smith 4289, Gillespie 4308, DA 9725, DA 13017, DA 7880, DA 9508, DA 8092, DA 731, DA 882, DA 3524, DA 8462, DA 10492, Parks 20240, DA L.12541
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Marquesas Islands	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 332)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 332) Voucher cited: Fosberg 61210
French Polynesia Society Islands	Maupiti (Maurua) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. (1987) (p. 11) Naturalized
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 332) Voucher cited: H.M. Smith 183
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 332) Vouchers cited: Florence 2281, BRY 25363
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 332) Voucher cited: Florence 5236
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 332) Voucher cited: Florence 5236
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 240) Voucher cited: Stone 5018 (GUAM), G.E.S. 188
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1517-1518)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1517-1518)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1517-1518)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1517-1518)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1517-1518) Voucher cited: Bryan s. n. (BISH)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe (1996) (p. 380) Largement répandue et parfois commune en lieux humides.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive abo. intro.	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 58) Voucher cited: Vieillard 1467
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe (1996) (p. 380) Largement répandue et parfois commune en lieux humides.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)	introduced invasive abo. intro.	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 58)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 238) Voucher cited: CHR 168803
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 49)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 25) Voucher cited: Yuncker 10207 (BISH) "Occasionally planted about dwellings".
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Peleliu Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 34)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island	introduced invasive	St. John, H. (1987) (p. 23) Voucher cited: Fosberg & B. Christian 11207
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 49)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 90)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced invasive	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 59)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 67) "Occasional throughout Tonga"
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 67) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15659
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 98) Vouchers cited: Ilolahia 120, Soakai 632
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 67) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 15230, Hürlmann 114
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 98) Vouchers cited: Soakai 760, Soakai 886
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 67) Voucher cited: Yuncher 16032
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Burkill, I. H. (1900) (p. 61)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 90)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 35)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 93)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 93)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 93)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 93)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 35)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 93)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 93)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 93)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Additional information:  Additional online information about Coix lacryma-jobi is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Coix lacryma-jobi may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Anon. 1988. Weed list for American Samoa by cropping system. Checklist dated 07/13/88, origin unknown. 3 pp.

Burkill, I. H. 1900. The flora of Vavau, one of the Tonga Islands, with a short account of its vegetation by Charles Steele Crosby. Lin. Jour. Bot. 35:20-65.

Cardenas, Juan/Reys, Carlos E./Doll, Jerry D./Pardo, Fernando. 1972. Tropical weeds; malezas tropicales, vol. 1. International Plant Protection Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 341 pp.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Fosberg, F. R./Otobed, D./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L./Powell, D. A./Canfield, J. E. 1980. Vascular plants of Palau with vernacular names. Department of Botany, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 43 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. 1987. Flora of Maupiti, Society Islands. The Smithsonian Institution. Atoll Research Bulletin 294:1-70.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1987. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian monocotyledonae. Micronesica 20:1-126.

Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe. 1996. Conséquences des introductions d'espèces animales et végétales sur la biodiversité en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 51:375-401.

Glassman, S. F. 1952. The flora of Ponape. Bishop Mus. Bull. 209: 1-152.

Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar. 1980. Grass weeds, vol. 1. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 142 pp. + plates.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

Smith, Albert C. 1979. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 1. 494 pp.

St. John, H. 1987. An account of the flora of Pitcairn Island with new Pandanus species. Honolulu, 65 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. 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).

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.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1990. Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands: The plants, their Maori names, and their uses. Allertonia 5(4):347-424.

Whistler, W. A. 1990. The weeds of Manu‘a [unpublished checklist]. 18 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flora of Tonga [unpublished checklist]. 107 pp.

Wiggins, I. L./Porter, D. M. 1971. Flora of the Galapágos Islands. Stanford University Press. 998 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1945. Plants of the Manua Islands. Bishop Mus. Bull. 184. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 73 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.