Rhaphiolepis indica (Linnaeus) Lindley, Rosaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk (based on second screen), score: 3 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Crataegus indica L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Indian hawthorn

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Evergreen shrub. Leaves coriaceous, crowded on the top of branches, obovate to oblong-obovate, 4-5 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, the apex rounded or obtuse, the base cuneate-decurrent, coarsely serrate but entire toward the base; stipules caducous, lanceolate. Flowers numerous, in terminal paniculate cymes, sparsely tomentose; bracts lanceolate, 4-5 mm long, 1 mm wide, caducous; pedicels slender, 1-1.3 cm long; calyx-tube campanulate, sparsely pubescent, the lobes triangular-ovate, about 5 mm long, 2 mm wide, acute; petals white, obovate, 6-9 mm long, 4 mm wide, acute or mucronate at apex; stamens numerous. Fruit globose, 5-8 mm across, glabrous" (Li et al., 1977; pp. 92, 94).

Habitat/ecology:  In Australia, "it has naturalized in remnant bushland in Brisbane and Sydney" (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 127).

Propagation:  "Planted as a garden ornamental, it is propagated from seeds or cuttings" (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 127). Seed dispersed by fruit-eating birds (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 127).

Native range:  China.

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	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 478) "Rarely cultivated in Hawai‘i"
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands		Kato, Hidetoshi (2007) Var. umbellata (Thunb.) H.Ohashi

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 cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 127)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 127)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Comments:  A potential invasive species in Australia (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 127).

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

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

References:

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

Kato, Hidetoshi. 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Personal communication.

Li, Hui-lin/Liu, Tang-shui/Huang, Tseng-chieng/Koyama, Tetsuo/DeVol, Charles E., eds. 1977. Flora of Taiwan, Volume 3. Epoch Pub. Co., Taipei. 1000 pp.

Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2005. A tropical garden flora: plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 908 pp.

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