Liriope spicata (Thunberg) Loureiro, Asparagaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7.5 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: shan mai dong

English: creeping lilyturf, creeping liriope

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Roots usually with fusiform, fleshy, tuberous part near tip. Stolons creeping, slender. Leaves glaucous abaxially, narrowly linear, 25-60 cm x 4-8 mm, distinctly 5-veined abaxially, base surrounded by many brownish sheaths, margin serrulate. Scape 25-65 cm. Inflorescence 6-15(-20) cm, many flowered; bracts lanceolate, basal one 5-6 mm. Flowers in clusters of (2 or)3-5; pedicel ca. 4 mm, articulate distally. Tepals purplish or bluish, suboblong, 4-5 x 2-2.5 mm. Filaments ca. 2 mm; anthers ca. 2 mm. Style ca. 2 mm; stigma as wide as style. Seeds subglobose, ca. 5 mm in diameter"  (Flora of China online).

"Grasslike herb; rootstocks jointed, shallow-growing, small tubers sometimes present.  Leaves tufted, flexuous, to 17 inches long, 0.25 inches wide.  Inflorescence usually shorter than leaves, scape slender; bracts short, papery.  Flowers 20-36, sessile, in loose, open spike of 5-9 whorls, each with 2-4 flowers, corollas white to pale purple" (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 690).

Habitat/ecology:  "Forests, grassy slopes, hillsides, moist places; near sea level to 1800 m"  (Flora of China online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  China, Korea and Japan (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 690). Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Japan (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 690)

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)
China China	Hong Kong	native cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 361) Wild or cultivated as an ornamental.
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

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

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

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

References:

Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2005. A tropical garden flora: plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 908 pp.

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

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.

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