Merremia quinquefolia (L.) Hall. f., Convolvulaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 8 (Go to the risk assessment).

Other Latin names:  Convolvulus quinquefolius (L.) L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: five-fingered morningglory, mile-a-minute, rock rosemary

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Usually a small herbaceous vine, sometimes prostrate, the stems glabrous or sparsely hirsute; leaves long-petiolate, the 5 leaflets subsessile, elliptic or lanceolate, glabrous, acute or acuminate, sinuate-dentate, 2-7 cm. long; inflorescence a simple 3-flowered, or rarely compound, dichasium or reduced to a single flower, axillary and usually longer than the leaf, the peduncles glandular-pilose, the pedicels 1-1.5 cm. long; sepals unequal, oblong, obtuse, glabrous, the outer ones 3-5 mm. long, the inner ones 4-7 mm. long; corolla white, 1.5-2.5 cm. long; capsule glabrous, 7-8 mm. broad, subglobose, 4-celled; seeds 4, pubescent"  (Standley & Williams, 1970; p. 74).

"Herbaceous prostrate or climbing vine; leaves, palmately compound with 5 leaflets, leaflets oblong to lanceolate, 2.5 to 6 cm long; petioles, 2 to 5 (rarely up to 9) cm long; flowers, borne in axillary, solitary or several-flowered cymes, the peduncles glandular in the upper part and sometimes mixed with spreading bristly hairs; sepals, 4 to 8 mm long, narrowly ovate to oblong, obtuse, subequal or the outer ones shorter; corolla, 1.8 to 2.5 cm long, pale yellow or whitish; fruit, about 9 mm long, capsular, globose, stramineous, 4-valved; seeds, about 4.5 mm long, shortly curled-pilose, blackish" (Thaman et al., 1994; p. 119).

Habitat/ecology:  "Annual herbaceous weed common in cultivated fields, perennial crops, pastures, roadsides and ditchbanks"  (Cardenas et al., 1972; p. 147).

Propagation:  Seed (Cardenas et al., 1972; p. 147).

Native range:  West Indies (Thaman et al., 1994; p. 119). West Indies, Mexico, Central America, northern and western South America; naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 11474 (PAP) Adventice. Sur sol nu et dans le tapis herbacé, localement aggressive.
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced invasive	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 119) Rare. Voucher cited: Fosberg 58765 (US)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2000) (voucher ID: PTBG 42870) Taxon name on voucher: Merremia quinquefolia

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)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
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	Standley, Paul C./Williams, Louis O. (1970) (p. 74)
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)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
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)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	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)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

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