Fuchsia paniculata Lindl., Onagraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Common name(s): [more details]

English: fuchsia, lady's eardrops

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Gynodioecious or subdioecious, erect shrubs to small trees 3-8 m tall, usually glabrous. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3-4 per node, subcoriaceous, elliptic to oblanceolate, 5-15.5 cm long, 2-5.5 cm wide, margins minutely to coarsely serrate, petioles 0.8-2.5 cm long, stipules triangular, often connate, 0.8-1.2 mm long, caducous. Flowers numerous, erect, in terminal, branched panicles; perfect flowers with pedicels 8-12 mm long, floral tube 4-8 mm long, with a smooth to irregularly lobed nectary at base, sepals rose purple, 5-10 mm long, spreading to reflexed at anthesis, petals lavender, 4-10 mm long, erect to spreading, staminal filaments opposite the sepals 4-13 mm long, those opposite the petals 2-11 mm long; pistillate flowers similar to perfect ones except floral tube 3-5.5 mm long, sepals 3.5-7 mm long, petals 2.3-4.5 mm long, staminal filaments opposite the sepals 1.5-4.9 mm long, those opposite the petals 1-4 mm long. Berries dark purple, glaucous, subglobose, 4-9 mm long" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 997).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, wet forest at approximately 3,000-5,000 ft. elevation (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 997).

Propagation:  Seed, possibly spread by birds.

Native range:  Central Mexico to Panama.

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	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 997) Voucher cited: Degener & Degener 31130 (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 997)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 997)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 997)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 997)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 997)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 997)

Comments:  Would be a threat only at higher elevations in the tropics.

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

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

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

References:

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).