Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Lobelia purpurascens sensu J. W. Parham in Dept. Agr. Fiji Bull.35 and other publications.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: luan ye ban bian lian

English: white root

Fijian: vononiwai

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Prostrate herb..., the stems rooting at lower nodes, then ascending to 20 cm high; petiole 1-20 mm long; leaf blades ovate, 1-4 (-6) x 1-3.5 cm, tinged with purple beneath, subentire to repand-dentate, puberulent to glabrous on both surfaces; flowers axillary, the pedicels 1-3.5 cm long; calyx tube 2-4 mm long, the lobes lanceolate to deltoid, 3-5 mm long; corolla 4-9 mm long, pale blue or lavender, dorsally slit to base, the tube nearly white; filaments 3-5 mm long, the anthers 0.8-1.5 mm long, with apical hair tufts; capsule ovoid, 3-6 mm long, yellowish brown" (Smith, 1991; p. 247).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "from near sea level to about 1,000 m, often abundantly naturalized along trails in dense forest and also in dry forest, wet clearings, cocoa plantations, pastures, marshes, and swamps, and along roadsides" (Smith, 1991; p. 247).  "In Samoa, "uncommon in wet disturbed places, mostly in the mountains" (Whistler, 1988; p. 8).

Propagation:  Seed, vegetatively.

Native range:  "Southeastern Asia (from Ceylon, the Himalayas, southern China, and Formosa) throughout Malesia.  Specimens have not been noted from between New Guinea and Fiji" (Smith, 1991; p. 247).

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	Matuku Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 247) Voucher cited: DA 7739
Fiji Fiji Islands	Rambi Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 247) Voucher cited: DA 3676
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 247) Voucher cited: Degener & Ordonez 13911
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 247) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 811, Smith 4760, O. & I. Degener 32059, Smith 9402, DA 8630, Smith 8805, DA 10951, DA 12323, DA 9424, DA 6018, Greenwood 811A, Gillespie 3407, Smith 7003, DA 11432, DA 7563
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1927) (voucher ID: PTBG 45067) Taxon name on voucher: Lobelia zeylanica
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. (2013)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 8)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 87)

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	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) By water and streams in ravines; below 1500(-2000) m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 259) Along streams.
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)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 57) Common
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) By water and streams in ravines; below 1500(-2000) m.
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)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Lobelia zeylanica, please let us know.