Ochna serrulata (Hochst.) Walp., Ochnaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 11 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Mickey Mouse plant, bird's-eye bush, ochna

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Erect, evergreen shrub to 2 m tall with slightly rough stems finely spotted with light brown. Spirally arranged, narrow and oblong leaves (up to 5cm long) with a wavy surface and have finely toothed edges are pinkish-bronze when young, and mature to glossy green. Five-petalled, fragrant yellow flowers appear in spring (3cm diameter) which drop off as the berry-like, spherical glossy green fruit develops attached to each of five red sepals. Fruit ripens from green to black from November to January, with each fruit containing one oval green seed"  (Weedbusters New Zealand).

"Shrub, to 5 ft., branches roughened by many lenticels; leaves narrowly elliptic, to 2 3/8 in. long, sharply serrulate; flowers 1 to several, on short spurs, sepals broadly elliptic, yellow-green, becoming enlarged and oblong in age, strongly reflexed and bright red in flower, petals obovate; drupes ellipsoid, becoming black when mature, on enlarged red receptacle" (Bailey & Bailey, 1976; p. 775).

Habitat/ecology:  In Australia, "naturalized in dry sclerophyll forest and riparian vegetation throughout most of coastal, south-east Queensland, but does not appear to have caused significant displacement of native plants" (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 119).

Propagation:  Seed, probably dispersed by birds (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 119).

Native range:  South Africa.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced	Pickard, J. (1984) (p. 207)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 9) "Recorded as an alien on Lord Howe Is. by J.Pickard (J. Biogeogr. 11: 207, 1984), but no material from there has been seen or found in NSW herbarium".
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 9) "A native of S Africa which was introduced to subtropical gardens and has now escaped. It appears to have become naturalised relatively recently on Norfolk Is., and is reported to be spreading and a cause of concern (fide W.R.Sykes, Annual J. Roy. New Zealand Inst. Hort. 8: 55, 1980)". Voucher cited: W.R. Sykes NI 707/87 (CHR)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Herbarium Pacificum Staff (1998) (p. 12) Vouchers cited: T. Flynn et al. 3940 (BISH), B. Stevens 2 (BISH 647633)

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)	New South Wales	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 119)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 119)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Ochna serrulata, please let us know.