Lophostemon confertus (R.Br.) P.G.Wilson & J.T.Waterhouse, Myrtaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk, score: -3 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: hong jiao mu

English: Brisbane box, brush box, red box, vinegar tree

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees up to 20 m tall (in Hawai‘i), bark pinkish brown. Leaves alternate, 4-5 in pseudoverticils at the ends of the branchlets, chartaceous, lanceolate, 8-20 cm long, 4-7 cm wide, glabrous, apex acuminate, base cuneate, petioles 1.5-3.5 cm long. Flowers 3-7 in axillary cymes subtended by bud scales or rarely by leaves; sepals subulate, 4-5 mm long, caducous; stamens usually 70 or more per fascicle; style 4-5 mm long. Capsules turbinate to hemispherical, 10-15 mm in diameter. Seeds 2-3 mm long" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 963-964).

Habitat/ecology:  In its native range (Australia), widespread and common except in the drier parts of the region, around the edges of rainforest and in most types of eucalypt forests (Stanley and Ross, 1986; vol. 2, pp. 198-199). Commonly planted as a forestry tree in Hawai‘i.

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.

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	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 963-964) Forestry plantations.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 963-964) Forestry plantations.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank (2007) (p. 28) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer & J. Penniman H50616 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2004) (p. 14) East Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer, J.Q.C. Lau & R. Aguraiuja H60302 (BISH, PTBG) Spreading from plantations.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 963-964) Forestry plantations.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank (2010) (p. 37) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H80830 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 963-964) Forestry plantations and escaping.

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	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 963-964)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 963-964)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) Cultivated in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Yunnan.
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 57) Cultivated only
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011)

Comments:  Some local naturalizing where planted in Hawai‘i.

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

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

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

References:

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Oppenheimer, Hank. 2007. New plant records from Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i for 2006. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2006. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 96:17-34.

Oppenheimer, Hank. 2010. New Hawaiian plant records from Maui County for 2008. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2008. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 107:33-40.

Oppenheimer, Hank L. 2004. New Hawaiian plant records for 2003. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2003. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 79:8-20.

Stanley, T. D./Ross, E. M. 1989. Flora of south-eastern Queensland. Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Misc. Pub. 81020. 3 Volumes.

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).

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