Merremia hederacea (Burm. f.) Hallier f., Convolvulaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Evolvulus hederaceus Burm. f.; Merremia convolvulacea Dennst. ex Hallier f.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: li lan wang

English: ivy woodrose

Yapese: galili ne sëpan magacol, watchagar

Habit:  vine

Description:  A small creeping or twining vine; "petioles tuberculate; leaves entire or 3-lobed, 1-5 cm long, 1-4 cm wide; outer calyx-lobes 3.5-4 mm long, essentially glabrous, obviously mucronate, obovate-spathulate and notched; inner calyx-lobes to 5 mm long; corolla 1 cm long, yellow; capsule depressed-globose, or subconic, often obscurely 4-angled, finely wrinkled; brown"  (Stone, 1970).

"A twining or prostrate herb; stems slender, glabrous or pubescent, often minutely tuberculate, sometimes rooting at the nodes. Leaf-blade ovate in outline, 1.5-5 cm. long, 1.25-4 cm. wide, obtuse and mucronulate at the apex, cordate at the base, entire, crenate, or shallowly to deeply 3-lobed, glabrous or sparsely hairy; petiole 0.5-6 cm. long, sparsely tuberculate. Flowers solitary or several in lax, branched inflorescences; peduncle 1-10 cm. long, usually glabrous or minutely tuberculate; pedicels 2-4 mm. long, similar. Sepals obovate to spathulate, outer 3.5-4 mm. long, inner up to 5 mm. long, notched at the mucronulate apex, glabrous or sparsely pilose. Corolla yellow or white, campanulate, 6-12 mm. long, glabrous outside, pilose inside at the base. Capsule globose or conic, somewhat 4-angled, 5-6 mm. long; valves reticulately wrinkled. Seeds pubescent or glabrous, 2.5 mm. long." (Aluka)

Habitat/ecology:  In Guam, "weedy in wet localities in disturbed areas"  (Stone, 1970).  In China, "Scrub, grassy roadsides in tropical areas; 100-800 m"  (Flora of China).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Africa, tropical Asia, Australia (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 227)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 7717 (PAP) Adventice
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	probably introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (pp. 495-496)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 227)
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) New Guinea Island	New Guinea Island		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 6) Down the road from the Yuhi Hotel, climbing over trees and other vegetation. Voucher cited: Lorence 9708 (PTBG, BNM, NY, US)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2008) (voucher ID: PTBG 1) Taxon name on voucher: Merremia hederacea (Burm. s.) Hallier f.
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago		Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 469) Not abundant; in lawns, hedges and Imperata grassland.
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)
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. 361) In thickets and in open grasslands at low altitudes.

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)		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Scrub, grassy roadsides in tropical areas; 100-800 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Jiangxi, Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 224) In thickets or in grasses along roadside.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 187)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 60) Common
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Scrub, grassy roadsides in tropical areas; 100-800 m.
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Merremia hederacea, please let us know.