Hypericum androsaemum L., Hypericaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 18 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: amber, sweet amber, tutsan

Spanish: androsema, toda buena, toda santa

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "A glabrous shrub with spreading stems of 30-150 cm height.  Leaves are glabrous and opposite, entire, broadly ovate to ovate-oblong, sessile, and 4-15 cm long. There are minute oil glands on the lower surface.  Pale yellow flowers of 2-3 cm diameter are borne in clusters at the ends of branches.  Stamens are as long as the petals.  Petals sometimes have black dots along the margins.  Fruits are fleshy berries, reddish at first and becoming black, broadly ellipsoid to globose, and 7-12 mm long.  They contain numerous brown seeds of c. 1 mm length"  (Weber, 2003; p. 208).

"Shrub, 30-90 cm. Leaves 2.5-) 4-9 cm, sessile or amplexicaul, broadly ovate to ovate-oblong, obtuse or rounded to subapiculate or subacute, when crushed not smelling of goats. Sepals 8-12 (-15) mm, markedly unequal, oblong-ovate to broadly ovate, enlarging in fruit, persistent. Petals 6-10 (-12) mm, obovate. Stamens shorter than petals to slightly exceeding them. Styles shorter than the ovary. Fruit baccate, 7-10 (-12) mm, broadly cylindric-ellipsoid to globose, reddish, becoming black, deciduous" (Davis, 1967; p. 366).

Habitat/ecology:  "Bushland, grassland, forest edges, riparian habitats.  Where native, this plant grows in damp woods, shady hedges and other moist places.  It is invasive because its rather large leaves shade out native species and the shrub forms dense thickets.  It covers extensive areas and displaces native vegetation.  The plant grows both in shade and full sun"  (Weber, 2003; p. 208).  "Woodland margins and stream banks, 250-1300 m" (Davis, 1967; p. 366). "The plant prefers shaded sites and forest edges in regions where annual rainfall exceeds 750 mm" (Parsons & Cuthbertson, 1992; p. 692).

Propagation:  Seed, dispersed by birds, and cuttings.

Native range:  Western Europe, scattered in southern Europe and Caucasia, northern Iran, western Syria, northwest Africa (Davis, 1967; p. 366).

Presence:

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)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 169) Also Victoria, Tasmania, southwest Western Australia
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Belov, Michail (2011)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Owen, S. J. (1997)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 539) "Escape from cultivation in open forest, forest margins, scrub and other secondary growth, waste places and garden surrounds".

Control: 

Physical:  "Isolated plants can be hand pulled or dug out.  Roots must be removed to prevent regrowth.

Chemical:  An effective herbicide is picloram, best applied before fruits develop"  (Weber, 2003; p. 208).

"1. Cut down and paint stump (spring-summer only): metsulferon-methyl 600g/kg (5g/L). 2. Spray (November-January): glyphosate (10ml/L + penetrant) or metsulferon-methyl 600g/kg (5g/10L) or triclopyr 600 EC (50ml/10L) or Yates Hydrocotyle Killer (250ml/10L)"  (Weedbusters New Zealand).

Additional information:
Photos and additional information at the Environment Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, web site of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
Information sheet from Weedbusters New Zealand.
Photos and other information from Chileflora.

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

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

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

References:

Belov, Michail. 2011. Chileflora (online resource).

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

Davis, P. H./Mill, R. R./Tan, Kit, eds. 1965. Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. Edinburgh, University Press. 1965-1988, 10 vols.

Owen, S. J. 1997. Ecological weeds on conservation land in New Zealand: A database. Working draft. Wellington, New Zealand. Department of Conservation.

Parsons, W. T./Cuthbertson, E. G. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia. Inkata Press, Melbourne/Sydney. 692 pp.

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

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.