Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Peltophorum pterocarpum
(DC.) Backer ex K.Heyne, Fabaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk, score: -4 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Baryxylum inerme (Roxb.) Pierre; Peltophorum ferrugineum (Decne.) Benth.; Peltophorum inerme (Roxb.) Náves ex Fern.-Vill.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chuukese: nara

English: copperpod, golden flamboyant, yellow flamboyant, yellow flame tree, yellow poinciana

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees, 4-15 m tall. Young shoots, petioles, and inflorescences ferruginous hairy; old branches with yellowish, small lenticels. Leaves 30-42 cm; petiole robust; rachis 25-35 cm; pinnae 7-15 pairs, opposite, 8-12 cm; leaflets (7-) 10-21 pairs, crowded together, oblong-obovate, 1.2-1.7 cm x 5-7 mm, leathery, abaxially pale green, adaxially deep green, base oblique, margin entire, apex rounded, mucronate. Panicles terminal or axillary, densely ferruginous puberulent; bracts caducous, 5-8 mm. Pedicels ca. 5 mm, ca. as long as flower buds, 5-7 mm from one another. Flower buds globose, 5-8 mm in diam. Sepals ovate, 5-8 x 4-7 mm, outside ferruginous tomentose. Petals obovate, 1.5-1.7 cm x 8-10 mm, densely ferruginous pubescent at middle of both surfaces, long clawed. Filaments ca. 1.2 cm, hirsute at base; anthers ca. 3 mm, sagittate at base. Ovary stalked, hairy, 3- or 4-ovuled; style filiform, much longer than ovary, smooth; stigma discoid, 3-lobed. Legume winged, compressed, fusiform, narrowed to both ends, longitudinally veined at middle part; wings 4-5 mm wide. Seeds 2-4"  (Flora of China online).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "P. pterocarpum appears to be in the early stages of naturalization in Nahiku on the road to Hana, Maui" (Starr, pers. com.). In Fiji, cultivated near sea level (Smith, 1985; p. 89). In New Caledonia, "souvent planté, surtout à Nouméa" (MacKee, 1994; p. 75).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southeastern Asia through Malesia to northern Australia, widely cultivated in tropical areas" (Smith, 1985; p. 89). Naturalized in the tropics (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
Chuuk Islands
Chuuk Islands cultivated
Space, Jim (2004)
Observed by Space et al., in 2000.
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Weno (Moen) Island   National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1980) (voucher ID: PTBG 23986)
Taxon name on voucher: Peltophorum pterocarpum
Federated States of Micronesia
Kosrae Island
Kosrae Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 101)
Federated States of Micronesia
Kosrae Island
Kosrae Island introduced
cultivated
Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 17)
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands
Pohnpei Island introduced
cultivated
Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 95)
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands
Pohnpei Island cultivated
Space, Jim (2004)
Observed by Space et al., in 2000.
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Viti Levu Island introduced
cultivated
Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 89)
Vouchers cited: Damanu 33, DA 1559, DA 12241, DA 12061, DA 16777
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Moorea Island introduced
invasive
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
Naturalisée
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Raiatea (Havai) Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 157)
Voucher cited: BRY 25414
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 157)
Voucher cited: BRY 25729
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island introduced
invasive
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
Naturalisée
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island introduced
cultivated
Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 315)
Voucher cited: Stone 4292 (GUAM)
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 101)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Kaua‘i Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2012) (pp. 38-39)
Voucher cited: OED 2010031003 (BISH)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island introduced
invasive
Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim (year unknown)
E. Maui. "Spreading along Hana highway near mile marker 26". Voucher cited: Starr & Martz 980827-126 (BISH)
Kiribati
Line Islands
Tabuaeran (Fanning) Atoll introduced
cultivated
Wester, Lyndon (1985) (p. 24)
Single tree.
Nauru
Nauru Island
Nauru Island introduced
cultivated
Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (pp. 150-151)
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île Grande Terre introduced
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 75)
Vouchers cited: Metzger 78, Gay in MacKee 18386, Cherrier in MacKee 38489
Palau
Palau (main island group)
Ngerkebesang Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 101)
Palau
Palau (main island group)
Palau Islands (main island group)   Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (2010) (p. 30)
Papua New Guinea
Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago introduced
cultivated
Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (pp. 223-225)
Ornamental tree.
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)
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands native
Australian Biological Resources Study (2011)
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
Australian Biological Resources Study (2011)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland introduced
cultivated
Australian Biological Resources Study (2011)
"Cultivated but not naturalised".
China
China
China (People's Republic of) introduced
cultivated
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011)
Guangdong (Guangzhou), Guangxi, Yunnan
China
China
Hong Kong introduced
cultivated
Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 137)
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia (country of) native
Australian Biological Resources Study (2011)
Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan Island introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand (Kingdom of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam (Socialist Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
La Réunion (France)
La Réunion Island
La Réunion Island introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
India (Indian Ocean offshore islands)
Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
India (Indian Ocean offshore islands)
Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Maldives
Maldive Islands
Maldive Islands introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Maldives
Maldive Islands
Malè Atoll cultivated
Fosberg, F. R. (1957) (p. 21)
Mauritius
Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)
Mauritius Island introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Seychelles
Seychelles Islands
Seychelles Islands introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
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)
United States (other states) introduced
ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)

Comments:  Planted as an ornamental tree. Some naturalizing reported in Hawai‘i (Starr, pers. com.).

Additional information:
Information from the World Agroforestry Centre's AgroForestryTree Database.

Additional online information about Peltophorum pterocarpum is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

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

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

References:

Australian Biological Resources Study. 2011. Flora of Australia Online. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Fosberg, F. R. 1957. The Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 58. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 37 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex. 2012. New plant records for the Hawaiian Islands 2010-2011. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2011. Part II: Plants. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 113:27-54.

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.

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2011. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 2010. Checklist of the plants of Palau. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 44 pp.

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy. 2010. Checklist of the plants of Kosrae. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 26 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty]. 1984. Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago for naturalists. Office of Forests, Division of Botany, Lae, Papua New Guinea. 638 pp. ISBN 9980-66-000-7.

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

Space, Jim. 2004. Jim Space, pers. com.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim. 0. Forest and Kim Starr, pers. com.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. 1994. The flora of Nauru. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Research Bulletin 392:1-223.

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

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Wester, Lyndon. 1985. Checklist of the vascular plants of the northern Line Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Reseach Bulletin 287:1-38.

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 9 JAN 2004 and was last updated on 13 DEC 2010.