Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Fijian: veliyawa

Kwara‘ae: kwalo tabui, kwalo tambui

Habit:  vine

Description:  "High-climbing vine with fistulose stems...; leaf blades broadly ovate to orbicular, 10-14 cm long and broad, broadly cordate at base, abruptly acuminate at apex; inflorescences 12-40 cm long, the pedicels 2-3.5 cm long, with a thickened, undulate annulus at apex; sepals obovate to suborbicular, 8-12 mm long, accrescent to 18 mm long in fruit; corolla campanulate to hypocrateriform, 3-5 cm long, white with a yellow center; anthers about 2.5 mm long; fruit ovoid to subglobose, about 2 cm in diameter"  (Smith, 1991; pp. 50-51).

Main diagnostic features of the common weedy species of Merremia found in the Solomon Islands (from Bacon, 1982):

	M. peltata	M. pacifica	M. bracteata
Leaf shape	peltate	sagittate	sagittate
Leaf indumentum	glabrous	pubescent when young, glabrous when mature	densely pubescent when mature
Leaf texture	smooth	rugose	smooth
Flower bracts	absent	absent	large and numerous
Flower colour	creamy white*	pure white	yellow
Anthers	spirally twisting at dehiscence	not spirally twisting at dehiscence	spirally twisting at dehiscence

*M. peltata also has a yellow-flowered form.

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "infrequent in sometimes dense forest at elevations of 100-400 m" (Smith, 1991; pp. 50-51).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Louisiade Archipelago and several islands of the Solomons, where it is abundant, as well as Fiji, where it seems to be infrequent" (Smith, 1991; pp. 50-51).

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 Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	native	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 81) Vouchers cited: E. Albert 66 (NY, PTBG), E. Albert 92 (NY, PTBG) Native but invasive.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2004) (voucher ID: PTBG 43705) Taxon name on voucher: Merremia pacifica
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 43706) Taxon name on voucher: Merremia pacifica
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 50-52) Voucher cited: DA 13194
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. (2011)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 50-52) A weedy native species.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 91)

Comments:  "In the Solomons it can be a troublesome weed in forests" (Smith, 1991; pp. 50-51).

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

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

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

References:

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. 2010. Checklist of the vascular plants of Pohnpei with local names and uses. Allertonia, in press. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 146 pp.

Pratt, Llinda/Santos, Greg/Stone, Charles. 1994. A test of four herbicides for use against strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) in Kipahulu Valley, Haleakala National Park. Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawai'i, Department of Botany. Technical Report 90.

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

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

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