Piper aduncum L., Piperaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 18 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: matico, spiked pepper

Fijian: Honolulu yaqon, yanggona ni Onolulu, yaqona ni Onolulu

Spanish: cordoncillo, higuillo

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  "Small tree to 7 m tall, with short silt roots and soft, brittle wood; foliage and twigs aromatic.  Branches erect, but with drooping twigs and swollen, purplish nodes.  Leaves alternate, distichous, elliptic, 12-22 cm long, shortly petiolate; lamina scabrid above, with sunken nerves, softly hairy beneath.  Inflorescence a leaf-opposed, curved spike on a 12-17 cm peduncle, white to pale yellow, turning green with maturity.  Flowers crowded in regular transverse ranks.  Perianth absent; usually 4 stamens.  Fruit a 1-seeded berry, blackish when ripe.  Seeds brown to black, 0.7 -1.25 mm long, compressed, with a reticulate surface"  (Waterhouse and Mitchell, 1998; pp. 59-60).

Habitat/ecology:  "Disturbed rainforest and margins at low elevation, particularly moderate to high rainfall areas.  Aggressive coloniser of clearings.  A serious weed of grazing land and abandoned gardens in Papua New Guinea.  Environmental weed after forestry operations." (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998).  In Fiji, an aggressive weed from sea level to 400 m, most often "along roadsides and in thickets, but also sometimes in secondary forest or on forested ridges, rarely in intact rain forest" (Smith, 1981).  "P. aduncum is definitely an emerging problem on the Indonesian side of New Guinea (now known as Papua). We find it throughout Jayapura regency along all roadsides - especially quick to colonise non-metalled roads - seeds traveling in the mud on wheels. This plant forms total monocultures invading agricultural fields near roads to the point where farmers are forced to abandon the areas and open up new plot from primary rain forest. (Neville Kemp, communications to Aliens listserver). In New Guinea, "an aggressive coloniser of clearings, and a serious weed of grazing land; avoided by livestock. Widespread at low altitudes" (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 134).

Propagation:  Tiny seeds dispersed by birds and flying foxes. May be introduced into new areas on machinery, particularly logging equipment. Locally, it spreads by suckers, forming large clumps. "Individual fruiting spikes contain huge numbers of tiny seeds that are dispersed by birds and mammals, and as contaminants of vehicles and logging equipment" (Waterhouse and Mitchell, 1998; pp. 59-60).

Native range:  West Indies and tropical America.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 58) Vouchers cited: Smith 8819, Greenwood 1028, DF 425, DA 9591, Meebold 16884, DA 11302, DA 3149, DA 8387, Parks 20282, DA 9410, Smith 7248, Webster & Hildreth 14082, Gillespie 2079, DA 9225 (McKee 2790), Tothill 835
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1955) (voucher ID: BISH 33695) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 169650) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1927) (voucher ID: BISH 169653) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1927) (voucher ID: BISH 169654) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1927) (voucher ID: BISH 169655) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 169656) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1927) (voucher ID: BISH 169657) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1937) (voucher ID: BISH 169658) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1926) (voucher ID: BISH 169660) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1943) (voucher ID: BISH 169661) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 169662) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2004) (pp. 25-26) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr, Starr & Fukada 020913-2 (BISH).
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (pp. 59-60)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Mbanika Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1991) (voucher ID: BISH 597802) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Mbanika Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1991) (voucher ID: BISH 1002372) Taxon name on voucher: Piper aduncum L.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 95)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 99)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced invasive	Orapa, Warea (2005) Munda and Noro

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	probably native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (pp. 59-60)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 123) Garden remnant.

Comments:  A major invasive species on disturbed areas in Papua New Guinea: "Piper aduncum is increasingly coming to the attention of those of us concerned with identification of 'new' or threatening weeds and I would predict that you will hear more about it in the future. In Papua New Guinea it rapidly invades fallow land, apparently causing almost complete exclusion of native species at some sites. There is cause for concern over the impact that it will have on forest regeneration in recently logged areas and I believe that in some places it is even giving that other scourge Chromolaena odorata a 'run for its money'.

"In the light of reports of the status of Piper aduncum in Fiji, this species was added to the revised Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy weed "target list" (Waterhouse and Mitchell, 1998; pp. 59-60). It has been pre-emptively prohibited entry to Australia, and just in case it is already lurking here it is to be one of the additional species added to the new Land Protection legislation in Queensland. I believe it is covered under similar legislation elsewhere in tropical Australia."  (Barbara Waterhouse, communication to the Pestnet listserver)

Additional information:  Report (PDF format) from US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station, Hawaii "Plants of Hawaii".
Information and research on the species.
Book:  Invasion of Piper aduncum in the shifting cultivation systems of Papua new Guinea, by Alfred E. Hartemink. Download PDF (caution: 52 MB).

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

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

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1926. Voucher specimen #BISH 169660 (Setchell, W.A. 15022).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1927. Voucher specimen #BISH 169653 (MacDaniels, L.H. 1071).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1927. Voucher specimen #BISH 169654 (Gillespie, J.W. 2079).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1927. Voucher specimen #BISH 169655 (Parks, H.E. 20060).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1927. Voucher specimen #BISH 169657 (Parks, H.E. 20282).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1936. Voucher specimen #BISH 169650 (Meebold, A. 21395).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1937. Voucher specimen #BISH 169658 (B.E.P. 922).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1943. Voucher specimen #BISH 169661 (Greenwood, W. 1028).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1953. Voucher specimen #BISH 169656 (Smith, A.C. 7248).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1953. Voucher specimen #BISH 169662 (Smith, A.C. 8819).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1955. Voucher specimen #BISH 33695 (Parham, J.W. 9410).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1991. Voucher specimen #BISH 597802 (Herbst, D.R. 9357).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1991. Voucher specimen #BISH 1002372 (Herbst, D.R. 9357).

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. 1975. Weeds of New Guinea and their control. 2nd edition. Department of Forests, Division of Botany, Botany Bull. No. 7. Lae, Papua New Guinea. 180 pp.

Orapa, Warea. 2005. Warea Orapa, Weed Mangement Officer, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, pers. com. (Trip Report, Solomon Islands, 19 April to 10 May, 2005).

Parham, J. W. 1958. The weeds of Fiji. Department of Agriculture, Fiji. Bulletin No. 35. 196 pp.

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. 2004. New plant records from the Hawaiian Archipelago. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2003. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 79:20-30.

Swarbrick, J. T. 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: a report to Parks Australia. 101 pp. plus appendix.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Thaman, R. R./Tuiwawa, M. 1999. Invasive, potentially invasive and adventive alien plant species of Fiji: a preliminary analysis of their status and measures required for their control. Preliminary draft discussion paper prepared for the SPREP Regional Invasive Species Strategy for the South Pacific Islands Region: Regional Workshop, Nadi, Fiji, 26 September-1 October 1999.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. 1998. Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy: weeds target list. Second edition. Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service, Miscellaneous Publication No. 6/98. 110 pp.