Hybanthus attenuatus (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult.) Schulze-Menz, Violaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: greenviolet

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Erect annual herb to 50 cm tall, sometimes much-branched.  Stems terete, hollow, with 2 or 3 longitudinal rows of hairs.  Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate; blade ovate to oblong, 3-8 - 1-3 cm.  Flowers zygomorphic, solitary in leaf axils; peduncle 2 cm long.  Sepals 5, subequal, 2-4 mm long.  Petals 5, unequal; upper petals white, 2.5-3.5 mm long; lateral petals 4-4.5 mm long, purple-striped; lower petal white, oval to kidney-shaped, 8-10 mm long including a claw 4-5 mm long.  Fruit a nodding, globular capsule, 4-5 mm long, elastically dehiscent.  Seeds subglobose with a crater-like top, smooth, black speckled with white"  (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 99-100).

Habitat/ecology:  "Disturbed situations and cultivation" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 99-100).

Propagation:  "Seeds dispersed by water" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 99-100).

Native range:  South America (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 99-100).

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (p. 100) Java
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Comments:  "A potentially significant weed, as it can be locally dominant and is fast growing" (Soerjani et al., 1987, cited in Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 99-100). "A weed of a wide range of annual crops, including rice" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 99-100).

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

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

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

References:

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

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. 1998. Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy: weeds target list. Second edition. Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service, Miscellaneous Publication No. 6/98. 110 pp.