Myroxylon balsamum (L.) Harms, Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Myrospermum pereirae Royle; Myroxylon pereirae (Royle) Klotzsch; Toluifera balsamum L.; Toluifera pereirae (Royle) Baill.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Peru balsam, Tolu balsam, balsam of Peru, balsam-of-Tolu, opobalsam

French: baumier de Tolu, baumier du Pérou

Spanish: árbol de Tolú, árbol tolú, bálsamo blanco, bálsamo de Tolú, bálsamo del Perú, estoraque

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Large tree to 40 m in native habitat; bark resinous and aromatic when broken.  Leafstalk 5-10 (-15) cm; leaflets (5-) 7-13, alternate or irregular, petiolulate 2-4 mm, ovate or elliptic-oblong, acuminate, 3-8 (-12) cm, 11.7-3 r, coriaceous, glossy, glabrous, reticulate, with pellucid lines and dots.  Inflorescences axillary or terminal, congested, with glandular-puberulent axes.  Flowers numerous, 7-9 mm (-slightly larger), soon divergent or nodding.  Pedicels 4-8 mm.  Calyx broadly bowl-shaped, 4-6 mm, irregularly undulate or abortively-toothed, finely canescent-puberulent.  Corolla inconspicuous, white; standard ca. 10 mm, ascending or curved, broadly ovate, long-clawed.  Stamens exserted, with conspicuous anthers.  Pistil glabrous; ovary narrowly obovate, with 2 subterminal ovules.  Legume exserted-stipitate 5-10 mm, oblong-oblanceolate, distally rounded, flat except at seed-bearing apex, 5-11 cm x ca. 2-2.5 cm, punctate or not; valves (central portion) linear-oblanceolate, coriaceous, longitudinally striate and becoming wrinkled, expressed over the apical seed; wings apery, smooth, constituting most of the width of the fruit.  Seed 1, 1-2 cm."

"The Peru-balsam, an economic species of the tropics, is recognized by its irregularly alternate leaflets, small, nodding flowers (little bowls with a central cluster of shortly exserted anthers), and fruits resembling a giant maple samara" (Isely, 1981; pp. 25-27).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, infrequently cultivated near sea level (Smith, 1985; p. 150).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Southern Mexico to Panama (and possibly Colombia), cultivated elsewhere" (Smith, 1985; p. 150). "Mexico to northern South America; cultivated in tropics of both hemispheres" (Isely, 1981; pp. 25-27).

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	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 114-115)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 150) var pereirae (Royle) Harms. Voucher cited: DA 1552
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) var. pereirae (J.F. Royle) H.E. Baillon Cultivée
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 114-115)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 100) Not seen on this survey.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 87) Vouchers cited: MacKee 12167, MacKee 12171

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)	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)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacan, Morelos, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Yucatan
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	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)

Comments:  Reported to be invasive in wet and intermediate zones, sub-montane forest in Sri Lanka (Pallawatta et al., 2003; p. 93).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Myroxylon balsamum, please let us know.