Litsea glutinosa (Lour.) C.B.Rob., Lauraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Litsea laurifolia (Jacq.) F. M. Bailey; Sebifera glutinosa Lour.; Tetranthera laurifolia Jacq.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: chan gao mu jiang zi

English: Indian laurel, bolly-beech, brown bolly-gum, brown bollywood, brown-beech, soft bollygum

French: avocat marron, bois d'oiseau

Kwara‘ae: ainikini

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Moderately-sized tree; bark thin, grey or pale brown; live bark 3 mm thick, pale brown, very slimy. Branchlets rather slender, stiff, minutely tomentellous towards apex, hairs very slender; terminal with dense layer of sub-appressed, glossy, long hairs. Leaves 7-15 x 3-7 cm, spirally arranged, very variable in size, usually oblong-oval or elliptic, shortly acuminate or obtuse, base acute, chartaceous to stiffly chartaceous, very densely, finely areolate-reticulate above, glabrous; midrib and slender lateral veins prominent, basal part of midrib often pilose, slightly impressed; paler beneath, minutely reticulate, very sparsely, minutely pilose, soon glabrous, midrib and lateral veins prominent, lateral veins slender, erect-patent, c. 8-12 pairs, secondary veins parallel, not horizontal. Petiole 1.5-3 cm long, slender, pilose. Flower umbels numerous, densely grey-tomentellous, 4-5 mm diameter; peduncles up to 5 mm long, slender, densely pilose on slender, short branches up to 14 mm long; perianth tube silky, funnel-shaped; tepals 0; stamens up to 20 with slender, very hairy filaments; glands on long stalks. Fruit c. 6 mm diameter, globose, purplish black, on flat, 4 mm diameter thin disc; fruiting pedicel slender" (Dassanayake, 1995).

Habitat/ecology:  "Forests and forest edges, moist gullies.  This tree grows in monsoon forests, riparian habitats and open woodland within the native range.  It is invasive because it spreads rapidly and builds up dense thickets that displace native vegetation"  (Weber, 2003; p. 240).

In New Caledonia, assez commun à l'état spontané à la Dumbéa, rare ailleurs et peu planté" (MacKee, 1994; p. 71). In Sri Lanka, "low country, up to 1000 m altitude" (Dassanayake, 1995). In Mauritius, mid-elevation moist forests (David Lorence, pers. com.).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "From India and S. China to Malaysia, Australia and the western Pacific islands; introduced and established in Mauritius and other tropical regions" (Dassanayake, 1995).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 71) Vouchers cited: Le Rat 2304, Franc 15, MacKee 16217, Déméné in MacKee 18457, Jaffré 1310, Suprin in MacKee 46165
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1983) (voucher ID: PTBG 29166) Taxon name on voucher: Litsea glutinosa (Lour.) C.B.Rob.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1979) (voucher ID: PTBG 31771) Taxon name on voucher: Litsea glutinosa
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 194) Chiefly in secondary forests at low and medium altitudes.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 86)

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)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Forest margins, streamsides, sparse forests or thickets; 500-1900 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, S Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 44)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Comoros Comoro Islands	Anjouan (Nzwani) Island	introduced invasive	Vos, P. (2004) (p. 6)
Comoros Comoro Islands	Comoro Islands	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Comoros Comoro Islands	Grande Comore (Njazidja) Island	introduced invasive	Vos, P. (2004) (p. 6)
Comoros Comoro Islands	Mohéli (Mwali) Island	introduced invasive	Vos, P. (2004) (p. 6)
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	MacDonald, I. A. W./Thebaud, C./Strahm, W. A./Strasberg, D. (1991) (pp. 51-61)
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Très envahissant"
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Kueffer, C./Lavergne, C. (2004) (p. 4)
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Baret, Stephane/Rouget, Mathieu/Richardson, David M./Lavergne, Christophe/Egoh, Benis/Dupont, Joel/Strasberg, Dominique (2006) (p. 758)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, D./Sussman, R. W. (1986) (pp. 147-162)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced	Rejmánek, M. (1996) (pp. 153-172)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced invasive	Kueffer, C./Mauremootoo, J. (2004) (pp. 7, 8)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Rodrigues Island		Kell, S. (1997) (pp. 13-14)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Rodrigues Island	introduced invasive	Kueffer, C./Mauremootoo, J. (2004) (pp. 7, 8)
French Territory of Mayotte Mayotte Islands	Mayotte Island	introduced invasive	Vos, P. (2004) (p. 6)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 53) Voucher cited: Todd 21
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Control:  "Seedlings and saplings may be pulled or dug out, larger plants cut and the cut stumps treated with herbicide"  (Weber, 2003; p. 240).