Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume, Elaeocarpaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 4 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Elaeocarpus grandis F. Muell.; Elaeocarpus parkinsonii Warb.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: yuan guo du ying

English: blue fig, blue marble tree, quandong

French: cerisier à graine bleue

Other: hando

Rotuman: umasa

Samoan: sāpatua, sāpatua, siapatua, siapatua

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Tree, 20-30 m tall; trunk greyish-white, 60-80 cm thick.  Leaves more or less clustered at the ends of the twigs, oblong to lanceolate, acutish, 8-25 x 5-8 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy; primary nerves forked at the ends; margin crenate to entire, not rarely undulate; base cuneate to acuminate; petiole 10-15 mm long. Trees with alternate leaves.  Racemes 8-14 cm long, axillary or on the leafless twigs below the leaf-clusters, rarely scattered on the thicker twigs; buds and their pedicels silky hairy, glistening; corolla whitish, when half-open 15-20 mm across.  Sepals 5, free; petals 5, more or less deeply divided into laciniate lobes; disc ring-like; stamens to 35, anthers linear, erect; ovary (5(-7)-celled; cells 2-ovulate; drupe globose or ellipsoid, 5(-7)-celled, cells 1-seeded.  Fruit globose or ellipsoid, 18-28 mm across, shining, cornflower-blue, inedible.  Stone bone-like, globose, outside strongly rugose to sculptured, with 5 shallow grooves, inside 5-celled, the fifth cell very often sterile or in-grown (but seedless loculi not much obscured by the growth of the seeds in the others)"  (Peekel, 1984; p. 352).

"a tall tree (to 36 m or more high), with trunk to 1.25 m in diameter and with large buttresses, and with horizontally spreading branches.  The petals are white, usually about 16-17 mm long, and copiously and deeply laciniate.  The fruits are blue, globose, and up to 3 cm in diameter"  (Smith, 1981; p. 353).

"Arbre de 10-25 m; tronc élancé de 0.20-1 m de diamètre, à écorce gris ou brun clair un peu rude; frondaison légère, branches plagiotropes.  Rameaux grêles et finement pubescents au sommet.  Feuilles un peu échelonnées à l'extrémité des remeaux, papyracées, brillantes, vert foncé; limbe de 7-22 x 1.5-5 cm, étroitement elliptique, à sommet aigu et base atténuée, marges régulièrement serretées sauf à la base; face supérieure glabre ou parfois pubescente vers la base; face inférieure glabre ou garnie de petits poils épars apprimés.  Nervure médiane souvent carénée en dessous; nervures secondaires 10-16 paires, fines, espacées de 0.5-2 cm, légèrement arquées, reseau de nerveiles peu visible, mailles lâches.  Pétiole de 0.6-1.5 cm, généralement étroitement ailé, soyeux à glabrescent, dépourvu de renflement au sommet, plat ou légèrement en creux au-dessus.  Inflorescences nombreuses, dressées a horizontales, s'échelonnant dans les parties défeuillées des rameaux, très florifères, comportant 10-25 fleurs pendant unilatéralement; axes de 3-8 cm, finement soyeux à glabrescents; pédicelles de 0.7-1.2 cm.  Boutons ovoïdes à oblongs, aigus au sommet, soyeux; pétales un peu involutés.  Calice vert pâle longuement dépassé par les lobes laciniés de la corolle blance , elle-même souvent nettement dépassée par le style.  Sépales 5, minces, longs de 0.6-1 cm, extérieurement et intérieurement garnis de poils soyeux.  Pétales 5, membraneux, étroitement obtriangulaires, longs de 0.9-1.5 cm, divisés jusqu'à mi-hauteur ou presque en 3-6 segments linéaires eux-mêmes bi ou trifurqués, souvent garnis de poils dans les sinus les plus profonds, laineux sur les bords non involutés, à base interne soyeuse, sans protubérance.  Étamines 30-50, insérées sur le disque, longues de 4-6 mm; anthères à lèvre extérieure acuminée et prolongée par 3-5 soies (certaines de 1.5 mm); filet très court, à peine plus étroit que l'anthère.  Disque haut de 1 mm environ, à lobes peu accentués, hérissé de poils.  Ovaire à dense revêtement soyeux, 8-10-sillonné; style de 0.8-1.6 cm, soyeux dans la moitié inférieure; 4-6 ovules dans chacune des (4) 4 loges ovariennes.  Fruit subspérique, bleu vif à maturité, de 1-2 cm de diamètre; mésocarpe fibreux; noyau verruqueux-muriqué marque de 4-5 sillons correspondant aux loges; 1-5 loges fertiles contenant chacune 1 graine"  (Aubréville and Leroy, 1982; pp. 46-47).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "an occasional cultivated tree found at elevations from near sea level to about 250 m)" (Smith, 1981; p. 353).  In Papua New Guinea (native), "generally a very common secondary species in disturbed vegetation, at least in Papuasia.  It can persist into advanced secondary or even later, becoming a canopy or even emergent species.  It is often recorded from 'primary forest' but many of these primary forests are likely to be mature regrowth, and it is doubtful if the species would regenerate under a closed canopy"  (Henty, 1981; p. 88).

Propagation:  Seed. May be spread by birds or bats. "Many species of birds are attracted to the bright blue fruits" (Henty, 1981; p. 88).

Native range:  "A native of Queensland, now occasionally grown in other tropical areas." (Smith, 1981; p. 353). "The species is found from India through Malesia to Australia and Fiji" (Henty, 1981; p. 88).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Fiji Fiji Islands	Rotuma Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1991) (voucher ID: BISH 637983) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus grandis
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 353) Vouchers cited: Howard 49, DDA L.22233 (DF 74), DA 490, DA L.11442
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (year unknown) (voucher ID: BISH 14673) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus grandis
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2012) (p. 67) Voucher cited: J. Parker & R. Parsons BIED113 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Daehler, Curtis C./Baker, Raymond F. (2006) (p. 7) Vouchers cited: C. Daehler 1077 (BISH), C. Daehler 1078 (HAW), C. Caehler 1105 (BISH), K. Nagata 279 (HLA)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Lifou	native	Tirel, Christiane/Jérémie, Joël (1982) (pp. 45-48) Vouchers cited: Bergeret 67, MacKee 28186
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Maré	native	Tirel, Christiane/Jérémie, Joël (1982) (pp. 45-48) Voucher cited: Däniker 2651
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Îles Ouvéa (Ouvea Atoll)	native	Tirel, Christiane/Jérémie, Joël (1982) (pp. 45-48) Voucher cited: Däniker 2220 (Z)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1973) (voucher ID: BISH 598210) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	native	Tirel, Christiane/Jérémie, Joël (1982) (pp. 45-48) Vouchers cited: Balansa 405, Balansa 1312, Balansa 1312, Baudouin 762, Baumann-Bodenheim & Guillaumin 7154, Baumann-Bodenheim & Gaillaumin 9267, Bernardi 9653, Brousmiche 1248, Buchholz 1074, Däniker 663 (Z), Dࢴniker 1137 (Z), Däniker 1637, Däniker 3010 (Z), Franc 215 A, Franc 215 (Z), Franc 300 (Z), Green 1162, Guillaumin 13357, Hürlimann 423, Hülimann 1264, Kay 51 s.loc., Lam 7210, Lécart 88-164 s.loc., Lenormand (Vieillard 163), Le Rat s.n., MacDaniels 2281, MacKee 3615, MacKee 5176, MacKee 23356, MacKee 26179, MacKee 28003, MacKee 33091, MacKee 33476, MacMilan 5147, Pancher s.n. s.loc., Pancher 166, de Pompery s.n., Sarlin 8 s.loc., Thiebaut 341 s.loc., Thorne 28125, Vieillard 163 (a), Vieillard 163 (b), Vieillard 686-696 s.loc., Virot 294, Webster & Hiltreth 14587, Webster & Hiltreth 14764, White 2170
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1952) (voucher ID: BISH 138858) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 401974) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 402026) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1909) (voucher ID: BISH 592996) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1992) (voucher ID: BISH 652341) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1979) (voucher ID: PTBG 31302) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus angustifolius
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)	native	Tirel, Christiane/Jérémie, Joël (1982) (pp. 45-48) Vouchers cited: Bernardi 9684, Germain s.n., MacKee 13044, MacKee 25159, MacKee 33748, Pancher 696
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 1001753) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1981) (voucher ID: PTBG 34726) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume
Palau Palau (main island group)	Palau Islands (main island group)	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 157)
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago	native	Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 352)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 7) Voucher: Flynn 6963 (PTBG, US, SAMOA)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 277) Taxon name on voucher: Elaeocarpus grandis
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 7)

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)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 38) Cultivated only
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Comments:  Introduced as a forestry tree and invading intact native forest in Samoa (Space & Flynn, 2002).

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

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

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

References:

Aubréville, A. and J-F. Leroy. 1982. Éléocarpacées. In: Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et Dépendances, vol. 11. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 0. Voucher specimen #BISH 14673 (collector unknown; collector's voucher number unknown).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1909. Voucher specimen #BISH 592996 (collector unknown 300).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1952. Voucher specimen #BISH 138858 (McMillan, C. 5147).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1968. Voucher specimen #BISH 401974 (Webster, G.L. 14587).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1968. Voucher specimen #BISH 402026 (Webster, G.L. 14764).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1973. Voucher specimen #BISH 598210 (Mackee, M. 28003).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1981. Voucher specimen #BISH 1001753 (D.Mueller-Dombois 81081313).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1991. Voucher specimen #BISH 637983 (McClatchey, W.C. 87).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1992. Voucher specimen #BISH 652341 (Koyama, H. 8268).

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Daehler, Curtis C./Baker, Raymond F. 2006. New records of naturalized and naturalizing plants around Lyon Arboretum, Mānoa Valley, O‘ahu. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 87:3-18.

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

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 1981. Voucher specimen #PTBG34726(D. Mueller-Dombois 81081313).

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2002. Voucher specimen #PTBG277(Tim Flynn 6963).

Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby. 2012. New plant records from the Big Island for 2010-2011. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2011. Part II: Plants. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 113:65-74.

Peekel, P. G. 1984. Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago for naturalists. Office of Forests, Div. of Botany, Lae, Papua New Guinea.

Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty]. 1984. Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago for naturalists. Office of Forests, Division of Botany, Lae, Papua New Guinea. 638 pp. ISBN 9980-66-000-7.

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of Samoa on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 83 pp.

Tirel, Christiane/Jérémie, Joël. 1982. Éléocarpacées, Monimiacées, Amborellacées, athérospermatacées, triméniacées, Chloranthacées. Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et Dépendances. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. Vol. 11, 182 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Whistler, W. A. 1984. Annotated list of Samoan plant names. Economic Botany 38:464.489.

Whistler, W. A. 1984. Rainforest trees of Samoa: A guide to the common native and naturalized lowland and foothill forest trees of the Samoan Archielago. Isle Botanica, Honolulu. 210 pp. ISBN 0-645426-4-1.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).