Hemigraphis reptans (G.Forst.) T.Anderson, Acanthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: red flame, red lily, waffle plant

Kapingamarangi: keinga maitai

Kwara‘ae: ba‘ekorara

Marshallese: utilõmjãn, wut lamjen, wut lomjen

Other: kouamerzé

Habit:  herb

Description:  Similar to H. alternata except: "leaves oblong-elliptic to narrowly ovate, 4-15 cm long, 1.6-4.3 cm wide, moderately hispidulous, margins crenulate, base truncate, or rounded. Flowers subtended by spatulate bracts 15-25 mm long, on stalks 6-7 mm long; corolla white, ca. 10 mm long. Capsules narrowly ellipsoid, ca. 6-7 mm long" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 171-172).

"Perennial; stems short, sprawling to prostrate, the nodes rooting, not especially swollen; petioles 6-18 mm long; leaf blades 2-6 (10) cm long, 1.2-2.8 (6) cm wide, oblong-lanceolate to elliptic, obtuse to truncate basally, rounded to obtuse apically, crenate, suffused with purple beneath; peduncles 1.4-4.2 cm long, naked, borne in leaf axils or terminal; flowers sessile, solitary or few, ikn axils of opposite, foliose, spatulate bracts; calyx cylindric, 7-8 mm long, the lobes separating and persistent in fruit, strigose; corolla 11-13 (15) mm long, white or whitish, suffused with purple within; capsules 6-7 mm long, elastically dehiscent, the two valves bearing prominent spinose retinacula along the axis of the placenta; glabrous below, antrorsely pubescent and on the subpersistent style." (Welsh, 1998; p. 21).

Habitat/ecology:  A lawn weed in Hawai‘i (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 171-172).

Propagation:  Seed but often by cuttings.

Native range:  "Native range unknown, but originally described from Aru Island off the coast of New Guinea" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 171-172). Fosberg et al. (1979; p. 257) list as native to Micronesia.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1992) (voucher ID: PTBG 16351) Taxon name on voucher: Hemigraphis reptans
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Kapingamarangi Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 257)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 64) Voucher cited: F.R. Fosberg 26148 (BISH) Naturalized
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 21) Voucher cited: BRY 25954
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 2773 (PAP), J. Florence 6607 (PAP) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Raivavae (Raevavae) Island	introduced	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rimatara (Rimitara) Island	introduced	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Tubuai Island	introduced	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 257)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 171-172)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 171-172)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L./Meidell, J. Scott/Bartlett, R. T. (1999) (p. 7) East Maui. Vouchers cited: Flynn & Tully 2440 (BISH), Oppenheimer 320 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L./Bartlett, Randal T. (2002) (pp. 1-2) West Maui. Vouchers cited: Oppenheimer H109909 (BISH), Oppenheimer H80019 (PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2002) (p. 3) Voucher cited: S. Anderson s.n. (BISH 605522)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 171-172)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Butaritari Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 257)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Butaritari Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L. (1993) (p. 32) Voucher cited: Herbst & Allerton 2709 (US)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Butaritari Atoll		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1972) (voucher ID: PTBG 30867) Taxon name on voucher: Hemigraphis reptans
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Ebon (Epoon) Atoll	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 30)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 257)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. (1962) (p. 35) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 39461 (US), Fosberg 41384 (US)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 257)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 30) Voucher cited: Whistler 11227
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Arno Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 257)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Arno Atoll		Anderson, Donald (1951) (p. iii) Vouchers cited: Anderson 3734, Anderson 3764
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Arno Atoll	introduced invasive	Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian (2007) (p. 4) "Abundant to very abundant; dense areas covered by this low-lying plant, often around the bases of coconut trees; in most environments including the forests and less cultivated areas".
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 257)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced invasive cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 58) Adventive
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced abo. intro.	St. John, Harold (1951) (p. 285) Voucher cited: St. John 41433 (BISH)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Mili (Mile) Atoll	introduced invasive	Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian (2010) (p. A8) Occasional; in ruderal areas near houses and in fields, Mili, Tokewa, Nallo.
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Lifou	native	Heine, Heino (1976) (pp. 31-32) Voucher cited: Däniker 2254, Deplance 61, acKee 5262
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Îles Ouvéa (Ouvea Atoll)	native	Heine, Heino (1976) (pp. 31-32) Voucher cited: Däniker 1990
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	native	Heine, Heino (1976) (pp. 31-32) Vouchers cited: Balansa 533, Baudouin 293, MacKee 19711, Mackee 22457, Pancher s.n., de Pompéry s.n., Védel s.n., Vieillard 548, Virot 764, Däniker 1656
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L. (1993) (p. 32) Vouchers cited: Hosokawa 9294 (A, BISH), Hosokawa 7120 (A), Tuyama 9355 (K), Kanehira and Hatusima 4951 (FU), Hatusima 5083 (FU)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (2006) (voucher ID: BNM 1123) Taxon name on voucher: Hemigraphis reptans
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L. (1993) (p. 32) Vouchers cited: Kanehira 463 (FU, BISH), Kanehira and Hatusima 4445 (FU), Hosokawa 7400 (A), Evans 587 (US, BISH, POM), Fosberg 47552 (US, BISH, POM, K)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. Field notes)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Ngercheu Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 8) Carp Resort
Palau Palau (main island group)	Urukthapel Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 257)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Urukthapel Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1991) (voucher ID: BNM 1991) Taxon name on voucher: Hemigraphis reptans (Forst.) T. Anders
Palau Palau (main island group)	Urukthapel Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1991) (voucher ID: BNM 9559) Taxon name on voucher: Hemigraphis reptans (Forst.) T. Anders.
Palau Rock Islands	Aulupse‘el Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 257)
Palau Rock Islands	Ngeanges Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 7)
Palau Rock Islands	Ngeremdiu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2007) (voucher ID: PTBG 46970) Taxon name on voucher: Hemigraphis reptans (G. Forst.) T. Anderson
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago		Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 511) Common everywhere; in secondary forest, under coconuts, at roadsides or even on bare coral rocks along the foreshore. Sometimes it covers whole areas in open bush and at forest margins.
Papua New Guinea Bougainville Islands	Bougainville Island		Foreman, D. B. (1971) (p. 32)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. Field notes.)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 92)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 80)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 243) Cited: Moseley. Not seen by Yuncker and presence in doubt.

Additional information:
See also:  Hemigraphis alternata.

Additional online information about Hemigraphis reptans is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

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

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

References:

Anderson, Donald. 1951. The plants of Arno Atoll, Marshall Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 7. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 4 pp. + 7 pp. appendix.

Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.). 1991. Voucher specimen #BNM1991(Herbst, Stemmermann & Canfield 9559).

Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.). 1991. Voucher specimen #BNM9559(Herbst, Stemmerman & Canfield 9559).

Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.). 2006. Voucher specimen #BNM1123(Costion 1123).

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Foreman, D. B. 1971. A check list of the vascular plants of Bougainville, with descriptions of some common forest trees. Botany Bulletin No. 5. Division of Botany, Department of Forests. Lae, New Guinea. 194 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. 1962. Vascular plants recorded from Jaluit Atoll. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 92. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 39 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L. 1993. Flora of Micronesia. Part 5. Bignoniaceae--Rubiaceae. Smithsonian Contrib. Bot. 81: 1-135.

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

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Heine, Heino. 1976. Acanthacées, Bignoniacées, Boraginacées, Solanacées. Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et Dépendances. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. Vol. 7, 212 pp.

Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. 2010. Checklist of the vascular plants of Pohnpei with local names and uses. Allertonia, in press. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 146 pp.

Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. 2008. Flora of the Marquesas Islands. National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian Institution. Online database.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2007. Voucher specimen #PTBG46970(M. J. Balick 4522).

Oppenheimer, Hank L./Bartlett, Randal T. 2002. New plant records from the main Hawaiian Islands. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2000. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 69:1-14.

Oppenheimer, Hank L./Meidell, J. Scott/Bartlett, R. T. 1999. New plant records for Maui and Moloka‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1998. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 59:7-11.

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. 1979. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 1. 494 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.

Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie. 2009. Report to the Republic of Palau: 2008 update on Invasive Plant Species. USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawai‘i. 227 pp.

St. John, Harold. 1951. Plant records from Aur Atoll and Majaro Atoll, Marshall Islands, Micronesia. Pacific Plant Studies 9. Pacific Science 5(3): 279-286.

Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. 2002. New Hawaiian plant records for 2000. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2000. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 68:3-18.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Vander Velde, Nancy. 2003. The vascular plants of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Atoll Research Bulletin No. 503:1-141.

Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian. 2007. Arno plants [preliminary working listing of plant species]. Unpublished checklist, 13 pp.

Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian. 2010. Survey of Invasive Plant Species and Other Plants of Mili Atoll, Marshall Islands. USDA Forest Resource Management Grant Program. Unpublished report. 6 pp, plus tabulation of plants of Mili Atoll, 23 pp.

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).

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. 1999. Botanical survey of the United States of America Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Islands. Prepared for Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the U. S. Army Environmental Center. 111 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.