Filicium decipiens (Wight & Arn.) Thwaites, Sapindaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 2 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Rhus decipiens Wight & .Arn.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: fern leaf tree, fern tree, soapberry

Habit:  tree

Description:  "A middle-sized tree, leaf scars large and prominent.  Leaves pinnate, leaflets 6-8 pair, glabrous, shining, opposite or some alternate, sessile, linear oblong, 4-6 in. long, midrib prominent.  Rachis with a leafy wing on either side between the leaflets, broad at top, narrowing downwards.  Flowers small, numerous, unisexual, pentamerous, in erect narrow axillary panicles, 6-8 in. long.  Sepals narrowly imbricate, glabrous, persistent, petals in male flowers as long as calyx, in female small.  Disk very hairy.  Ovary globose, 2-celled, 1 ovule in each cell, style short, curved,  Drupe ovoid, 1/2 in. diameter, apiculate, purple shining, seed 1, cotyledons much crumpled" (Brandis, 1921; pp. 188-189).

"Tree to 20 m tall. Macrophyll. Leaves compound (pinnate), not deciduous. No thorns or buttresses. Fruit a drupe, about 0.5 cm in diameter" (Friis, 1992).

Habitat/ecology:  "Afromontane rain forest (a local dry subtype transitional to woodland near the lower limit) and undifferentiated Afromontane forest. Elsewhere mostly in riverine forest. Altitudinal range: about 1600 m. Rainfall range: about 1000 mm/year" (Friis, 1992).  "Western Ghats ascending to 4-5000 ft.; Ceylon, in the central province, ascending to 3000 ft." (Hooker, 1872; p. 540).

Propagation:  Seed, possibly spread by fruit-eating birds.

Native range:  Western Ghats [India] from Malabar southwards, Ceylon, eastern tropical Africa (Brandis, 1921; pp. 188-189).

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	Vanua Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 617) Voucher cited: DA 12210
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 617) Vouchers cited: DA 5593, DA 15599, DA 2671, DA 7401 (L.3976), DA 13700 (L.8194)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 41000) Taxon name on voucher: Filicium decipiens
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 6645 (PAP) Planté, se naturalise.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 24) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H70139 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2012) (p. 46) Voucher cited: D. Frohlich & A. Lau 2010032901 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 24) West Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H30134 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2004) (p. 28) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Starr 020617-2 (BISH) Seedlings under trees and nearby, spreading from plantings.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2002) (p. 15) Voucher cited: C. Imada & G. Staples 2000-10 (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 42) Cultivated only

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Comments:  Reported naturalizing in Hawai‘i per communication of Hank Oppenheimer to HEAR.

"[C]ommonly cultivated in Hawai‘i and may escape cultivation." (Wagner et al., 1999).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Filicium decipiens, please let us know.