Dentella repens (L.) J.R. Forst., Rubiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Oldenlandia repens L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: borduegas

English: dentella

I-Kiribati: te uteute n Imatang

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Creeping low herb; leaves elliptic or oblong or oblanceolate but short, acute at both ends, 1-nerved, 1 cm long, 4 mm wide, on petiole 3 mm long; stipules ovate-subrotund; stems somewhat 4-angled; pedicels 1-2 mm long; calyx 2-3 mm; corolla about 1 cm long, tube yellowish, limb white (lobes each with a basal small purplish spot); throat pilose; fruit 3-4 mm, glabrous or beset with glassy hairs (these hollow), with many small angular seeds.  The flowers are often borne between branches in the V-shaped fork and are nearly sessile." (Stone, 1970; pp. 542-543).

Habitat/ecology:  "A tropical weed" (Stone, 1970; pp. 542-543).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "This herb is native to New Caledonia or somewhere else in Melanesia, but is now widespread in the Pacific as a weed of open sunny places" (Whistler & Steele, 1999; p. 63). China, Taiwan, southeast Asia, Australia; naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 64)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Puluwat (Pwonowót) Atoll	introduced invasive	Manner, H. I./Mallon, E. (1989) (p. 59) Voucher cited: Manner & Mallon 190 (GUAM)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Ulithi Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 264)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (pp. 542-543) Voucher cited: Stone 4091 (GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 264)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Abemama Atoll	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. 76) Voucher: Imada 2003-158 (BISH 697769)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Butaritari Atoll	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. 77) Voucher: Imada 2003-48 (BISH 697663)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Makin Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. Observed at Makin airstrip.)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. 74) Voucher: Imada 2003-19 (BISH 697634)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 264)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. (1962) (p. 35) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 39458 (US), Fosberg 41397 (US)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kili (Kõle) Atoll		Vander Velde, Nancy (year unknown)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 63) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 41420, Fosberg 48017, Herbst 8885, Herbst 8942, Herbst 9017, Whistler 11242
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 264)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 118) Rare, possibly now extirpated.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Angaur Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 264)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 59) Voucher: Lorence 9843 (BNM, PTBG)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1990) (voucher ID: BNM 10187) Taxon name on voucher: Dentella repens L.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Malakal Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 59) Voucher: Lorence 9719 (BNM, PTBG)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Peleliu Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 264)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Peleliu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 59) Voucher: Lorence 9764 (BNM, PTBG)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

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)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island		Topp, J. M. W. (1988) (p. 8)

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

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

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

Other Latin names:  Oldenlandia repens L.

References:

Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.). 1990. Voucher specimen #BNM10187(Otobed, D. P-10187).

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. 1962. Vascular plants recorded from Jaluit Atoll. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 92. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 39 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Manner, H. I./Mallon, E. 1989. An Annotated list of the vascular plants of Pulawat Atoll. Micronesica 22:23-63.

Raulerson, L. 2006. Checklist of Plants of the Mariana Islands. University of Guam Herbarium Contribution 40:1-69. .

Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. 2004. Report to the Republic of Kiribati on invasive plant species on the islands of Tarawa, Abemama, Butaritari and Maiana. Cont. no. 2003-006 to the Pac. Biol. Surv. USDA Forest Service and Bishop Museum, Honolulu. 103 pp.

Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie. 2009. Report to the Republic of Palau: 2008 update on Invasive Plant Species. USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawai‘i. (In press).

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

Topp, J. M. W. 1988. An annotated check list of the flora of Diego Garcia, British Ocean Territory. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 313. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 21 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2009. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Vander Velde, Nancy. 0. Nancy Vander Velde, pers. com.

Vander Velde, Nancy. 2003. The vascular plants of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Atoll Research Bulletin No. 503:1-141.

Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. 1999. Botanical survey of the United States of America Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Islands. Prepared for Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the U. S. Army Environmental Center. 111 pp.