Coprosma repens A. Richard, Rubiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 8 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Coprosma baueri auct.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: creeping mirrorplant, looking-glass-plant, mirrorplant, tree bedstraw

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  "Shrub or tree up to 8 m. tall, depressed to prostrate when very strongly insolated; branches stout, bark light brown; branchlets pubescent when young. Leaves on stout glabrous petioles 8-16 mm. long. Stipules broad-triangular, subacute to subtruncate, glabrous; denticles several, conspicuous, central one prominent. Lamina thick, subfleshy, very glossy, dark green above, paler below; broad-oblong to broadly ovate-oblong, rounded to truncate to retuse or emarginate, sts apiculate; ± 6-8 x 4-5 cm. (shade leaves); 2-3 x 1·5-2 cm. (sun leaves); margins recurved, sometimes inrolled. Reticulations evident above and below. Flowers in compound clusters on branched peduncles. Male flowers many per cluster; calyx-teeth minute; corolla funnelform, lobes 4-5, acute, ± = tube. Female flowers usually 3 per cluster; calyx-teeth short, obtuse; corolla subfunnelform, c. 5 mm. long, lobes acute or obtuse, <tube; stigmas stout. Drupe orange-red, depressed-obovoid, ± 10 x 8 mm"  (Allan, 1982; p. 584).

Habitat/ecology:  "Coastal heath- and shrubland, forests, rock outcrops.  In the native range, this plant often occurs as a shrub of not more than 90 cm height in rocky sites near the ocean.  It is invasive because it forms dense and species-poor thickets that shad out native vegetation.  it impedes the growth and regeneration of native shrubs and trees.  The shrub is tolerant of salt spray and vigorously resprouts after damage"  (Weber, 2003; p. 118).

In New Zealand (native), "rocky places, shrubland and forest near sea"  (Allan, 1982; p. 584).

Propagation:  Seed, dispersed by birds.  Branches that touch the ground easily become rooted  (Weber, 2003; p. 118).

Native range:  New Zealand (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Kermadec Islands	native	Allan, H. H. (1982) (p. 584)

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)	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 102) South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 102) "Mostly along the coast, close to beaches and headlands".
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

Control:  "Seedlings are easy to pull out, small plants can be dug out.  Larger plants are cut and the cut stumps treated with herbicide.  Initial control should aim at removing female plants to prevent seed dispersal"  (Weber, 2003; p. 118).

Additional information:
Impact assessment from Victoria, Australia.
Fact sheet from New South Wales, Australia.

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

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

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

References:

Allan, H. H. 1982. Flora of New Zealand, vol. I: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. .

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

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.

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.