Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don, Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 17 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: jie ye tie sao zhou

English: Chinese bush-clover, Chinese lespedeza, perennial lespedeza, sericea lespedeza, silky bush-clover

French: lespédéza soyeux

Spanish: lespedeza perenne

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Subshrubs 6-9 dm tall; stems many-branched, densely pubescent.  Leaves closely spaced, leaflets grayish green, obovate or narrowly obovate, 5-20 mm long, 1-15 mm wide, upper surface glabrous, lower surface densely pubescent, apex emarginate, sometimes abruptly truncate.  Flowers subsessile, up to 7 mm long, (1) 2-4 per cluster; calyx 3.5-5 mm long, densely pubescent, persistent in fruit; corolla pale yellow tinged red, in some flowers absent along with stamens, standard with violet red blotches at base, 5-6.5 mm long.  Pods not stipitate, 2.5-4 mm long and slightly narrower, apiculate, with reticulate ridges.  Seed 1, pale brown, reniform, ca. 1.5 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 679).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "apparently sparingly naturalized" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 679).  In Fiji, "sparingly cultivated near sea level.  Probably Fiji does not offer a suitable climate for this temperate species, which in New Guinea occurs only in highland areas"  (Smith, 1985; p. 201).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Widespread from India, China, and Japan throughout Malesia to northern Australia" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 679).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 201) Vouchers cited: DA 4050, DA 4051
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) Voucher cited: Hosaka 2528 (BISH) Apparently sparingly naturalized.
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 294) On open grassy slopes, altitude 1,200 to 2,200 m.

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	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 201)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) "Mountain slopes, roadsides; below 2500 m".
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 148)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 679)
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)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)

Control: 

Physical:  "The best control of L. cuneata combines both mechanical and chemical treatments. Hand pulling is impractical due to its extensive perennial root system, but mowing plants at the flower bud stage for two to three consecutive years can significantly reduce the vigor of stands as well as control further spread. Mowing followed by a herbicide treatment is likely the most effective option for the successful control of L. cuneata.  Prescribed burning, by itself, does not control populations of L. cuneata. Spring burns actually stimulate resprouting and encourage seed germination. Even so, prescribed burns applied late in the season and in combination with other control methods can help control L. cuneata. Late season burns decrease mature L. cuneata vigor, remove that year's seeds, and decrease seedling survival. Following a late season burn, herbicide can be applied, then mowed for good control results"  (Bugwood Wiki).

Chemical:  "Most current management procedures require the use of herbicides to control the growth and expansion of L. cuneata. Metsulfuron methyl (Escort®), triclopyr (Garlon®), clopyralid (Transline®) and glyphosate (RoundUp®) are some herbicides that are known to control L. cuneata. Herbicide should be applied to L. cuneata in early to midsummer, during the flower bud stage. A 2% triclopyr solution or a 0.5% clopyralid solution is effective in controlling L. cuneata during the vegetative stage prior to branching or during flowering. In wet sites, a 2% solution of an aquatic-approved glyphosate formulation (Rodeo®, Aquamaster®) is effective from early summer until seed set (Remaley 1998)"  (Bugwood Wiki).

Additional information:
Fact sheet from the Plant Conservation Alliance, Alien Plant Working Group.
Additional photos
Information from "Invasive plants of Asian origin established in the United States and their natural enemies, volume 1" (PDF format).
Information from the Global Invasive Species Database.
Information from the publication "Nonnative invasive plants of Southern forests: A field guide for identification and control".
Information from the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual.
Information from the Bugwood Wiki.

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

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

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

References:

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2011. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

Kato, Hidetoshi. 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Personal communication.

Merrill, Elmer D. 1923. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants, vol. 2 [reprint]. Bureau of Printing, Manila. 530 pp.

Miller, James H. 2003. Nonnative invasive plants of Southern forests: A field guide for identification and control. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-62. 93 p.

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

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

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).

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

Zheng, Hao/Wu, Yun/Ding, Jianqing/Binion, Denise/Fu, Weidong/Reardon, Richard. 2004. Invasive plants of Asian origin established in the United States and their natural enemies, volume 1. FHTET-2004-05. U.S. Forest Service, Morgantown.

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