Hypoestes phyllostachya Backer, Acanthaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 20 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Hypoestes sanguinolenta hort.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: flamingo-plant, freckle-face, measlesplant, pink-dot, polka-dot-plant

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Herbs to 70 cm tall, young basal shoots especially velutinous; internodes between leaf-bearing nodes 2-6 cm long, 1.25-2.0 mm thick, subtetrangular, glandular plus appressed hairs to appressed hairs at angles only. Leaves petiolate, petioles to 2.5 cm long, appressed hairs on upper surface only; laminae ovate, 2-4.5 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm broad, apically acute, basally obtuse to rounded, margins entire, glabrous to sparingly puberulous on the midrib of both surfaces, most surfaces dotted with numerous pink spots to ca. 4 mm in size, cystoliths present on both surfaces. Flowers borne singly and in terminal and axillary spikes, often with a gradual transition from solitary flowers to spikes, rachises glandular-puberulous; bracts 2 per flower, fused for up to half their length, oblong, 12-15 mm long, 1.4-1.5 mm broad, apically acute to obtuse, with one bract slightly longer than the other, velutinous plus glandular hairs, bracteoles subulate, apically tapered, 10-11 mm long, 1.2-1.3 mm broad, velutinous; flowers sessile. Flowers with a 5-merous calyx, 6-7 mm long, segments equal, subulate, fused for ca. half their length; corolla magenta, 24-25 mm long, ca. 3 mm broad at the mouth, 0.7 mm broad basally, puberulous, upper lip 1 1-12.5 mm long, 3-lobed, lobes rounded, ca. 1 mm long, ca. 3.5 mm broad, lower lip 9.5-1 1 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm broad; stamens exserted, anthers 1-celled, ca. 1.7 mm long, 0.6 mm broad. Fruits clavate, 10-11 mm long, 1.4-1. 6 mm broad, 1.6-1.7 mm thick, puberulous toward apex; seeds 4, oval, 1.6-1.8 mm long, 1.1-1.2 mm broad, papillate. Hypoestes phyllostachya is most easily recognized by its pink-dotted leaves and magenta corolla, with a three-lobed upper lip and one-lobed lower lip"  (Durkee, 1986; pp. 46-47).

"Herb, becoming woody at base. Stems pilose. Leaves dark green marked with irregular pink dots and blotches; petiole slender, 1-7 cm long; lamina ovate, 3-12 cm long, 2-8 cm broad, basally obtuse to rounded, entire, acute. Inflorescence terminal on axillary branches, spicate; involucres 1-flowered, subtended by a pair of reduced leaves usually unequal in size. Calyx cylindrical, 1 cm long, pilose; lobes lanceolate, 2-3 mm long. Corolla c. 2 cm long, lavender-coloured; upper lip c. 1 cm long, somewhat curled back; lower lip c. 0.5 cm long, strongly recurved. Filaments straight, c. 1 cm long. Capsule not seen"  (Flora of Australia online).

Habitat/ecology:  "Widely cultivated as a house plant, and in gardens in warm temperate areas, sometimes escaping and becoming naturalized"  (Flora of Australia online).  In Costa Rica, "often cultivated for its attractive foliage. Escapes from cultivation have been made along road banks in two cloud forest areas, the Monteverde community at 1500 to 2000 m elevation in Puntarenas Province and near San Miguel at about 1600 m elevation in Heredia Province"  (Durkee, 1986; p. 47).  In Australia, "a common garden weed, naturalized in parts of northeast Queensland. Altitudinal range from 500-800 m. Usually grows as a weed in gardens but also found in disturbed areas in rain forest"  (Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Madagascar; 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
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Australian Biological Resources Study (2013) Vouchers cited: W.R. Sykes NI 610 (CHR), W.R. Sykes NI 1007 (CHR)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 11)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013)
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Herbst, Derral R./Wagner, Warren L. (1999) (p. 12) Voucher cited: Botany Dept. sub G. Staples 625 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Herbst, Derral R./Wagner, Warren L. (1999) (p. 12)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Herbst, Derral R./Wagner, Warren L. (1999) (p. 12)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 8) Voucher cited: MacKee 21862

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 cultivated	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalized
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	Randall, R. P. (2007) (p. 253) Invasive species.
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Hyland, B. P. M./Whiffin, T./Zich, F. A. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	introduced invasive cultivated	Durkee, L. H. (1986) (pp. 46-47)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Chiapas, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Queretaro, Veracruz

Control:  If you know of control methods for Hypoestes phyllostachya, please let us know.