Cordyline australis: info from PIER (PIER species info)

Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Cordyline australis
(G.Forst.) Endl., Agavaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands? yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations? no

Risk assessment results: Evaluate; score: 5 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Cordyline australis)

Other Latin names: Dracaena australis G. Forst; Dracaenopsis australis (G. Forst.) Planch.; Terminalis australis (G. Forst.) Kunth

Common name(s): [more details]

English: New Zealand cabbagetree, cabbage-palm, cabbagetree, fountain-dracaena, giant-dracaena, grass-palm, palm-lily

Habit: tree

Description: "Plants, to 12-(20) m tall; stem in young unbranched plants 5-10 cm ⌀, trunk of large many branched old trees to 1.5 m dbh; bark thick, rough and fissured. Leaves 0.3-1 m × 3-6 cm, base thickened, apically flat and thin, light green, midrib indistinct, nerves fine, equal, ± parallel. Inflorescences panicles, to 0.6-1.5 &mult; 0.3.-0.5 cm, branched to third or fourth order, branches coming off at about right angles and well-spaced; lower bracts green and foliaceous; ultimate racemes ~ 10-20 cm long; axes almost hiden by flowers; peduncle stout, to 4 cm ⌀. Flowers sweetly scented; perianth ~5-6 mm long, white; tepals slightly keeled, free almost to base, reflexed; stamens about the same number as tepals; stigma shortly trifid. Fruits globose, ~4 mm ⌀, whitish; seeds ~2.5 mm long, glossy, deeply notched on one side." (Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants, p. 239)

Habitat/ecology: In New Zealand: "In forest margins, open places, abundant near swamps. Fl. Jan-Apr. Fr. Oct-Dec." (Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants, p. 239)

Propagation: (no propagation information known by PIER)

Native range: Cordyline australis is native to New Zealand. (GRIN)

Impacts and invaded habitats: "This species is regarded as an emerging environmental weed in Victoria. It has become naturalised in conservation areas, including in rainforest near Mallacoota in south-eastern Victoria." (Weeds of Australia)

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 Maui Island Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands O‘ahu Island Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Tonga
Tongatapu Group ‘Eua 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

Australia
Australia (continental) New South Wales introduced
invasive
Government of Western Australia (2016)
"Naturalised in some parts of south-eastern Australia (i.e. naturalised in southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia and sparingly naturalised in New South Wales)."

Australia
Australia (continental) Australia (continental) introduced
invasive
Government of Western Australia (2016)
"Naturalised in some parts of south-eastern Australia (i.e. naturalised in southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia and sparingly naturalised in New South Wales)."

Australia
Australia (continental) Victoria (Australia) introduced
invasive
Government of Western Australia (2016)
"Naturalised in some parts of south-eastern Australia (i.e. naturalised in southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia and sparingly naturalised in New South Wales)."

New Zealand
New Zealand New Zealand (country) Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

New Zealand
New Zealand New Zealand (country) native (presumably)
Fayaz, Ahmed (2011) (p. 239)

New Zealand
New Zealand New Zealand (country) Wikimedia Commons (various photographers) (year unknown)
accessed 20180519 (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Cordyline_australis_Giant.jpg/135px-Cordyline_australis_Giant.jpg, et al.)

New Zealand
New Zealand North Island (NZ) native (presumably)
Walrond, Carl (2005)

New Zealand
New Zealand South Island Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Also reported from

Country/Terr./St. &
Island group Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction? Reference &
Comments

Europe
Europe France cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (various photographers) (year unknown)
accessed 20180519 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roscoff_013_Cordyline.JPG, et al.)

Europe
Europe Italy cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (various photographers) (year unknown)
accessed 20180519 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cordyline_australis_10.JPG, et al.)

Europe
Europe Spain cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (various photographers) (year unknown)
accessed 20180519 (e.g., https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cordyline_australis_textura_del_tronco.jpg)

Comments: Cordyline australis is cultivated, and is used as an ornamental and as a food additive (sweetener). (GRIN)

Control: If you know of control methods for Cordyline australis, please let us know.

Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 12 SEP 2017 and was last updated on 21 MAY 2018.

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	Maui Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua 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
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	Government of Western Australia (2016) "Naturalised in some parts of south-eastern Australia (i.e. naturalised in southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia and sparingly naturalised in New South Wales)."
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	Government of Western Australia (2016) "Naturalised in some parts of south-eastern Australia (i.e. naturalised in southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia and sparingly naturalised in New South Wales)."
Australia Australia (continental)	Victoria (Australia)	introduced invasive	Government of Western Australia (2016) "Naturalised in some parts of south-eastern Australia (i.e. naturalised in southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia and sparingly naturalised in New South Wales)."
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	native (presumably)	Fayaz, Ahmed (2011) (p. 239)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)		Wikimedia Commons (various photographers) (year unknown) accessed 20180519 (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Cordyline_australis_Giant.jpg/135px-Cordyline_australis_Giant.jpg, et al.)
New Zealand New Zealand	North Island (NZ)	native (presumably)	Walrond, Carl (2005)
New Zealand New Zealand	South Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Europe Europe	France	cultivated	Wikimedia Commons (various photographers) (year unknown) accessed 20180519 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roscoff_013_Cordyline.JPG, et al.)
Europe Europe	Italy	cultivated	Wikimedia Commons (various photographers) (year unknown) accessed 20180519 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cordyline_australis_10.JPG, et al.)
Europe Europe	Spain	cultivated	Wikimedia Commons (various photographers) (year unknown) accessed 20180519 (e.g., https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cordyline_australis_textura_del_tronco.jpg)