Heliocarpus popayanensis Kunth, Malvaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Heliocarpus americanus L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: broadleaf moho, high ridge moho, moho, mountain moho, white moho

Hawaiian: moho

Spanish: balsa pancho, llausa mora, majao, yarisa

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees 6-30 m tall; young branches puberulent to tomentose. Leaves ovate to cordate, 20-30 cm long, 14-18 cm wide, unlobed or shallowly 3-lobed, 5-7-nerved, minutely stellate pubescent, margins irregularly serrulate, apex acuminate, base truncate to cordate, petioles 6-8 cm long. Flowers perfect and pistillate, 12-20 usually in terminal cymes; perfect flowers with pedicels 2-4 mm long, sepals 4, lanceolate, 4-7 mm long, petals 4, narrowly spatulate, 3-4.5 mm long, stamens 12-24, ovary on a short gynophore, style 2-lobed; pistillate flowers with pedicels ca. 2 mm long, sepals 4, 4-5.5 mm long, petals rudimentary or absent, staminodes numerous, ovary on a short gynophore, style 2-lobed. Capsules ellipsoid to ellipsoid-ovoid, on a gynophore 5-10 mm long, the body 3-4 mm long, the plumose bristles 4-7 mm long, the faces with stellate hairs or very short plumose bristles. Seeds ovoid, ca. 2.5 mm long, depressed in the middle" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1292).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, naturalized in disturbed, dryer forests. "Grows rapidly and and spreads readily in disturbed wetter mesic forests"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Propagation:  Wind-dispersed seed.

Native range:  Southern Mexico to northern Argentina; also cultivated and 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
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1292)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1292)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank (2007) (p. 31) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H120644 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1292)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Heliocarpus popayanensis, please let us know.