Psychotria carthagenensis Jacq., Rubiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk (based on second screen), score: 2 (Go to the risk assessment)

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "A shrub 1-2 m. high, glabrous or nearly so; stipules membranaceous, ferruginous, caducous, less than 1 cm. long, obtuse or rounded at the apex; leaves short-petiolate, commonly rather thick, lance-elliptic to oblong-obovate, broadest at or above the middle, commonly 6-12 cm. long and 3-5 cm. broad, acute or acuminate or sometimes obtuse, at the base acute to long-attenuate, glabrous beneath or rarely puberulent on the nerves, often conspicuously domatiate in the nerve axils, the lateral nerves about 10 pairs; inflorescence terminal, erect, paniculate, usually long-pedunculate, generally radiately branched from the base, with divergent branches, the branches glabrous, the bracts caducous, the flowers sessile or nearly so; calyx obsoletely denticulate; corolla white, glabrous or very minutely puberulent, 4-5 mm. long, with very short lobes; fruit red, subglobose, 4 mm. long, the nutlets costate dorsally"  (Standley & Williams, 1975; 24(11): 146-147).

"A nearly glabrous shrub 1-3 meters, high; stipules large, thin, obovate, obtuse, brownish; leaves short-petiolate, the blades lance-elliptic to oblong-obovate, broadest at or above the middle, acute or acuminate, acute to attenuate at the base, puberulent beneath along the nerves or glabrate; inflorescence pedunculate, paniculate, open, usually radiately branched at the base, many-flowered, the minute bracts deciduous; calyx obsoletely denticulate; corolla white, glabrous or minutely puberulent, 4 mm. long; fruit red, 4 mm. long"  (Macbride & Dahlgren, 1936; 13(6/1): 187).

Habitat/ecology:  In Guatemala (native): "moist or dry forest or thickets, chiefly on the Pacific coastal plain, at 400 m. or less"  (Standley & Williams, 1975; p. 146-147).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Southern Mexico to Panama, southward to Bolivia and Argentina"  (Standley & Williams, 1975; 24(11): 146-147).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (year unknown) (voucher ID: PTBG 35287) Taxon name on voucher: Psychotria carthagenensis Jacq.

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)	Australia (continental)	introduced	Randall, R. P. (2007) (p. 393)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	Standley, Paul C./Williams, Louis O. (1975) (pp. 146-147)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	Macbride, J. Francis (1936) (p. 187)

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

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

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

References:

Macbride, J. Francis. 1936. Flora of Peru. Field Museum of Natural History, Botanical Series, Vol. XIII. 1936-1971, 6 parts.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 0. Voucher specimen #PTBG35287(Lorence, D. 8793).

Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status. CRC for Australian Weed Management, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. 524 pp.
Also:  Searchable online database at http://weeds.cbit.uq.edu.au/.

Standley, Paul C./Williams, Louis O. 1975. Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana: Botany. Vol. 24, Part XI, Nos. 1-3. Chicago Natural History Museum. 274 pp.