Hovenia dulcis Thunb., Rhamnaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: bei zhi ju

English: Chinese raisintree, Japanese raisintree

Spanish: sarmiento japonés

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Tall, almost glabrous tree with lenticellate branches; leaves rather membranous, broadly ovate, 8-15 cm long, 6-12 cm wide, short-acuminate, rounded to shallowly cordate at base, with obliquely triangular obtuse teeth, green and glabrous on upper side, pale green and glabrous to thinly pubescent on nerves beneath, becoming deep brown when dry, 3-nerved from the base, the lateral nerves close to the margin from near the base; the petioles 2.5-6 cm long, glabrous; cymes terminal and in the upper axils, glabrous, 3-5 cm across, many-flowered, the pedicels short, the branches thickened in fruit; flowers pale green, about 7 mm across; calyx-lobes about 2.5 mm long, acute; disc sparsely pilose; fruit globose, about 7 mm across, yellowish brown, glabrous, lustrous" (Ohwi, 1965; pp. 617-618).

Habitat/ecology:  "Sun to light shade; range of soil types except wet soil" (NC State University)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  China, Japan and Korea (Ohwi, 1965; pp. 617-618).

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	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rapa Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rapa Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 42028) Taxon name on voucher: Hovenia dulcis

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Comments:  Also reported invasive in Tanzania (Rejmánek, 1996).

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

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

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

References:

Binggeli, P. 2006. An overview of invasive woody plants in the tropics.

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).

Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (in English). Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C.

Rejmánek, M. 1996. Species richness and resistance to invasions. In: Orians, G., R. Dirzo and J. H. Cushman (eds.). Biodiversity and ecosystem processes in tropical forests. Springer-Verlag. pp. 153-172.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).