Pittosporum eugenioides A. Cunn., Pittosporaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: lemonwood, white mapau

Maori (NZ): tarata

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Polygamodioec tree with spreading branches, up to 12 m. tall, trunk up to 6 dm in diameter, bark pale. Leaves alternate, often approximate, 5-10-(15) x 2.5-4 cm., on rather slender petioles 1-2 cm. long. Lamina subcoriac., glossy, scented, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, acute to subacute, narrowed to petiole; margins us. undulate, midrib pale. Flowers fragrant, in terminal compound umbels, subcorymbosely arranged. Peduncles and pedicels with scattered hairs; peduncles 1-2 cm. long, pedicels c. 5 mm. long. Sepals ovate to narrow-ovate, pale, membranous, c. 2 mm. long; petals narrow-oblong, yellowish, 5-7 mm. long. Capsules glabrous, finely granulate, ovoid to elliptic in outline, 5-6 mm. long; valves 2 or sometimes 3; seeds immersed in viscid pulp, remaining ± covered by papery endocarp at dehiscence"  (Allan, 1982; p. 317).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand (native), "Lowland to montane forest"  (Allan, 1982; p. 317).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  New Zealand (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 494, 540, 556) Voucher cited: Danton H(1509)1270. "Este árbol está presente en el pueblo de San Juan Bautista y se naturalizó hasta el territorio del Parque National (sector El Guindal en el camino al Mirador de Selkirk, etc.) donde está en extensión.  Se trata de una especie muy invasora que al igual que el maqui [Aristotelia chilensis (Molina) Stunz.] reemplaza poco a poco los árboles nativos y elimina la mirtisilva fernandeziana".

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	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2011)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	native	Allan, H. H. (1982) (p. 317)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Pittosporum eugenioides is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

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

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

References:

Allan, H. H. 1982. Flora of New Zealand, vol. I: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. .

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

National Herbarium of New South Wales. 2011. PlantNet: New South Wales Flora online. The Plant Information Network System of the Botanic Gardens Trust Version 2.0. Online resource.

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

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.