Gmelina elliptica J.E.Sm., Verbenaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Badhara-bush

Palauan: a kulb ne par reth, kalngebard ra belau

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Small tree, with decussately arranged spines; young stems densely covered with hairs; leaves opposite or subopposite, ± decussate, petiolate, mostly broadly elliptic or broadly ovate; apex rounded, slightly mucronate, and ± retuse; base obtuse or acute, shortly attenuate; margin entire; upper leaf surface glabrescent; lower leaf surface covered with curved hairs; base of blade on lower surface with shiny green glands; inflorescence a raceme-like arrangement of cymes; peduncle densely covered with hairs; flowers opening 1 or 2 at a time; calyx cup-like, with appressed hairs and green button-like glands outside; 4 very short calyx lobes; corolla yellow, bilabiate, base narrowly cylindrical, greatly inflated distally, with appressed hairs outside; outer lip with single, largest lobe, inner lip 3-lobed; stamens 4, adnate to narrow part of corolla lobe, 2 upper stamens larger and 2 lower stamens smaller, all fertile; 2 uppers filaments curved, with glands; all anthers with 2 locules forming a U-shape; ovary ± globose, mostly shiny, glabrous, but with mostly distal appressed hairs; style filiform, 2 arms distally, 1 with very small terminal stigma, the second very small, aborted." (Flora of Suranaree University of Technology Campus, Thailand)

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southern and southeast Asia, Mauritius and Palau; 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
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 151)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 2620 (PAP) Cultivée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 493168) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica J.E.Sm.
Kiribati Line Islands	Line Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 18, 85)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 21) Voucher: Lorence 9894 (PTBG, BNM, BISH, NY, US)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 438288) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica J.E.Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1996) (voucher ID: BISH 649312) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica J.E.Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1996) (voucher ID: BISH 649313) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica J.E.Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1997) (voucher ID: BISH 697862) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica J.E.Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1997) (voucher ID: BISH 697863) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica J.E.Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (2005) (voucher ID: BNM 142) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1978) (voucher ID: BNM 1450) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2008) (voucher ID: PTBG 187) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 428375) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica J.E.Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 567993) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica J.E.Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1966) (voucher ID: BNM 835) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1966) (voucher ID: BNM 828) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1968) (voucher ID: BNM 827) Taxon name on voucher: Gmelina elliptica Sm.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Malakal (Ngemelachel) Island	native	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 18, 81)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 399) Common in thickets and secondary forests at low altitudes.

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)	Queensland	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 45) Endangered
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
India (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Andaman Islands	Andaman Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
India (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Nicobar Islands	Nicobar Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Comments:  Naturalized in Australia (Queensland), Jamaica and Zaire (GRIN).

This shrubby, thorny tree could be a problem if introduced to islands where it is not native.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Gmelina elliptica, please let us know.