Rhaphiolepis umbellata (Thunb.) Makino, Rosaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate (based on second screen), score: 0 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Laurus umbellata Thunb.; Rhaphiolepis japonica Siebold & Zucc.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: hou ye shi ban mu

English: Japanese-hawthorn, round-leaf hawthorn, sexton's bride, yedda-hawthorn, yeddo hawthorn

Japanese: sharimbai

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Rounded, bushy shrub up to c. 3 m high when mature; branches mostly spreading; young stems tomentose but soon becoming glabrous and shiny. Leaves distributed along younger stems; petiole 10-15 mm long, the upper 1/2 with tapering wing, greenish; blade coriaceous and stiff, broadly elliptic-obovate to suborbicular, 40-85 x 30-50 mm, rounded or slightly mucronate at apex, narrowly to broadly cuneate at base, pale brown tomentose at first but becoming glabrous on both surfaces, dark green and glossy above, paler below with a prominent network of veins; margins slightly recurved and entire or obscurely serrate in upper part of blade; stipules triangular, reddish. Inflorescence an erect, terminal, often ± pyramidal panicle, 40-70 mm long, with up to c. 20 flowers; pedicels 4-7-(10) mm long, stout, brown, pilose. Sepals connate at base; lobes triangular, 3-4 mm long, acute, pilose, purplish or reddish, ± erect to spreading. Petals free, spreading, obovate, (6)-7-9-(11) x 5-8 mm, blunt, white. Stamens < petals; filaments pink. Fruit obovoid or subglobose, c. 6-12 mm in diameter, purplish black"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 1102).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand, "coastal urban sites, near hedges, shrubberies, old plantations, street and road margins.  Sexton's bride was once very commonly cultivated in New Zealand and long persists in abandoned or neglected gardens"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 1102).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  China (Zhejiang), Japan, South Korea, Taiwan; cultivated elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Australian Biological Resources Study (2013) Voucher cited: R.O. Gardner 6138 (AK, K)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1985) (voucher ID: BISH 500193) Taxon name on voucher: Rhaphiolepis umbellata var. umbellata
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Toyoda, Takeshi (2003) (p. 256) As Rhaphiolepis wrightiana Maxim. = Rhaphiolepis indica var. umbellata
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands		Kato, Hidetoshi (2007) As Rhaphiolepis indica var. umbellata (Thunb.) H.Ohashi
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 118) Two shrubs in a household garden.

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 (2013) Naturalised
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Zhejiang
Japan Japan	Japan	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 1102)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Rhaphiolepis umbellata, please let us know.