Merremia dissecta (Jacq.) H.Hallier, Convolvulaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Ipomoea dissecta (Jacq.) Pursh; Ipomoea sinuata Ortega

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: duo lie yu huang cao

English: noyau vine, white convolvulus creeper

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Herbaceous vine..., the stems hirsute with yellow-brown hairs; petioles 2.5-7 cm long; leaf blades suborbicular in outline, 5-20 cm in diameter, palmately divided nearly to base, the lobes 5-9, sinuate to sinuate-dentate; sepals unequal, the 3 outer ones ovate-lanceolate, 15-25 mm long, enlarged and coriaceous in fruit; corolla broadly campanulate, 3-4.5 cm long, white with a purple center; fruit depressed-globose, 1-2 cm in diameter, partially surrounded by the accrescent calyx, the seeds black, subrounded, glabrous." (Smith, 1991; p. 48).

Habitat/ecology:  "Naturalised in many tropical regions on disturbed areas associated with settlements and on roadsides" (Smith, 2002; p. 51). In Fiji, "perhaps still cultivated or naturalized near sea level" (Smith, 1991; p. 48).

Propagation:  "Shattering capsules disperse seeds around the parent plant. Plants spread by rooting at nodes and fragmentation. Main spread has been intentionally as an ornamental creeper." (Smith, 2002; p. 51).

Native range:  "Florida and the West Indies to Argentina and Uruguay; introduced elsewhere and sometimes naturalized" (Smith, 1991; p. 48).

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	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 48)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		University of California (2006)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) var. edentata (C.D. Meisner) C.A. O'Donell Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (pp. 86-87) Voucher cited: BRY 26540
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (pp. 86-87) Voucher cited: Setchell & Parks 148
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 10703 (PAP) Ornementale assez rare à Tahiti, ici traitée en palissade. Tend à se naturaliser.
Kiribati Line Islands	Tabuaeran (Fanning) Atoll	introduced	Wester, Lyndon (1985) (p. 29) Present in garden.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1921) (voucher ID: PTBG 45938) Taxon name on voucher: Merremia dissecta
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands	introduced	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 48)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands	introduced	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 48)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Niuafo‘ou Island	introduced invasive	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 224) Voucher cited: Yuncker 16001

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	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 51)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 51)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) Cultivated and escaped. Guangdong.
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 224)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Maldives Maldive Islands	Malè Atoll		Fosberg, F. R. (1957) (p. 31) "Climbing in scrub at top of seaward beach". Voucher cited: Fosberg 36839 (US)

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. (2011)

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

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

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

References:

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Fosberg, F. R. 1957. The Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 58. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 37 pp.

Smith, Albert C. 1991. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 5. 626 pp.

Smith, Nicholas M. 2002. Weeds of the wet/dry tropics of Australia - a field guide. Environment Centre NT, Inc. 112 pp.

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

University of California. 2006. Moorea Digital Flora Project (online resource).

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Wester, Lyndon. 1985. Checklist of the vascular plants of the northern Line Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Reseach Bulletin 287:1-38.

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.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.

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