Malvaviscus arboreus Cav., Malvaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: xiao xuan ling hua

English: Chinese hat, Drummond's wax-mallow, Texas-mallow, Turk's cap, wax mallow

Maori (Cook Islands): kaute, kaute ‘oporo, kaute makatea, kaute moe

Pukapukan: kaute

Spanish: flor de santos, manzanillo, monacillo, obelisco de la sierra, tripa de buey, tulipancillo

Tuamotuan: aute‘umoa

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Spreading shrub to 2-(3) m high, often spreading vegetatively by layering.  Stems densely clothed in stellate hairs.  Leaves densely clothed in stellate hairs, velvety to tough, ovate to suborbicular, cordate, acute to acuminate, not lobed or shallowly 3-lobed, crenate-serrate, c. 5-15 cm long; petioles c. 2-12 cm long; stipules lanceolate, 3-8 mm long, deciduous.  Flowers axillary, solitary or few in fascicles; pedicels 10-30 mm long; epicalyx segments 7-9, linear, united for lower 1/5-1/4, somewhat less than or ± = calyx; calyx tubular, clothed in stellate hairs; calyx teeth ciliate, triangular, much less than tube; petals scarlet, 20-35 mm long.  Fruit fleshy, red, 1-3 cm diameter."  (Webb et al., 1988)

Malvaviscus penduliflorus (DC.) Schery is naturalized in the tropical Pacific and cultivated and escaping in New Zealand. It is distinguished by the large pendulous flowers, 42-65 mm long (Webb et al., 1988; p. 835).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand an occasional escape from cultivation in waste places (Webb et al., 1988; p. 835).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical and subtropical America (Webb et al., 1988; p. 835).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Northern Cook Islands	Pukapuka Atoll	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 433) Vouchers cited: DA 16740, DA 16224.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral/Imada, Clyde T. (2000) (p. 24)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 98) Var. mexicanus Schiechtd. Vouchers cited: MacKee 36956, MacKee 46133 Spontané
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Ellison, Joanna C. (1990) (p. 28) On outlier islets of Fukave and Ata.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Cultivated. Fujian (Xiamen), S. Guangdong (Guangzhou), S. Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 99) Ornamental.
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 835) Occasional escape from cultivation.
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 58) Cultivated only
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

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)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) var. drummondii (Torr. & A. Gray) Schery. Native to Texas, naturalized in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi.
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) var. drummondii (Torr. & A. Gray) Schery. Naturalized

Comments:  Reported as possibly an invasive plant in the Galápagos Islands per Charles Darwin Research Station.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Malvaviscus arboreus, please let us know.