Pilea nummulariifolia (Swartz) Wedd., Urticaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Low risk, score: 0 (Go to the risk assessment (Pacific))
Reject, score: 11 (Go to the risk assessment (U.S. (Florida)))

Other Latin names:  Urtica nummulariifolia Sw.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: creeping Charlie

Tongan: lo‘imatatō

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Creeping herb, rooting freely from nodes; stems reddish, decumbent, to 8 inches tall.  Leaves of pair subequal; petiole 0.15-1 inch long; blades broadly elliptic to circular, 0.3-2 inches long, bright green, surface puckered, base rounded to cordate, margins scalloped to toothed, apex rounded; stipules ovate, less than or equal to 0.125 inch long, obtuse and sometimes ciliate.  Male and female inflorescences separate, borne in upper leaf axils; male inflorescence sessile, partly concealed by leaves, flower pedicels elongate, hairy; female inflorescence stalked, stalk to 0.33 inch long, glabrous"  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 554).

Habitat/ecology:  "Requires ample moisture and a shady situation"  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 554).

Propagation:  Seed, rooting from nodes (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 554).

Native range:  "West Indies and Latin America from Panama to Peru"  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 554).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 25) Naturalized
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Raivavae (Raevavae) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence & W.R. Sykes 11176 (PAP) Subspontanée
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1961) (voucher ID: BISH 71306) Taxon name on voucher: Pilea nummulariifolia (Swartz) Wedd.
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 130) Ground cover and potted plant.
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 203)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 138) Voucher cited: MacKee 21962
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 6)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 67) Ornamental.
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 69) Cultivated only
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)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Pilea nummulariifolia, please let us know.