Ruellia brevifolia (Pohl) C.Ezcurra, Acanthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Ruellia graecizans Backer; Stephanophysum longifolium Pohl

Common name(s): [more details]

English: common wild petunia

French: petit-oiseau-rouge-de-la-forêt

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Erect perennial herbs 0.5-1 m tall.  Leaves green, lower surface paler, ovate, 4-13 cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide, hispidulous, white cystoliths numerous and conspicuous, petioles 6-30 mm long.  Flowers in cymose panicles, each flower subtended by 2 linear bracts 2-4 mm long; calyx lobes 5, linear, ca. 10 mm long; corolla bright red, 2.7-3.2 cm long.  Capsules clavate, 1.4-1.7 cm long, inconspicuously puberulent"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 174, 1856).

Habitat/ecology:  Cultivated as an ornamental and naturalizes.  In Australia, naturalized in disturbed rainforest in coastal north Queensland (Csurhes and Edwards, 1998; p. 130).  In Fiji, "sometimes locally frequent as a naturalized weed from near sea level to about 400 m on hillsides, along trails and roadsides, and in coconut plantations"  (Smith, 1991; p. 122).  In Hawai‘i, "cultivated as an ornamental and now naturalized"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 174).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical South America.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Fiji Fiji Islands	Exploring Islands	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 122-123) Voucher cited: Graeffe 117
Fiji Fiji Islands	Koro Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 122-123) Voucher cited: Smith 1044
Fiji Fiji Islands	Koro Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1934) (voucher ID: BISH 127805) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 122-123) Voucher cited: Smith 7503, Gillespie 4535, Parks 20489
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1928) (voucher ID: BISH 127807) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 127808) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1993) (voucher ID: BISH 633559) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 122-123) Vouchers cited: Gillespie 4713, DA 8935
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1928) (voucher ID: BISH 127804) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 122-123) Voucher cited: Bierhorst 104A
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Mbalavu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 122-123) Voucher cited: DA 10202
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vatu Vara Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 122-123) Voucher cited: Bryan 597
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vatu Vara Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1924) (voucher ID: BISH 127802) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vatu Vara Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1924) (voucher ID: BISH 127803) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 122-123) Vouchers cited: DA 10273, DA 11418, Greenwood 10, Vaughan 3160, Gillespie 2945, Tothill 655, DA 11240, H. B. R. Parham 4, Meebold 16924
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1958) (voucher ID: BISH 33852) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1927) (voucher ID: BISH 127806) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1932) (voucher ID: BISH 127809) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1927) (voucher ID: BISH 127810) Taxon name on voucher: Ruellia graecizans Backer
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 174)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2010) (p. 61) Voucher cited: Starr & Starr 070403-03 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 4) East Maui. Vouchers cited: F. Starr & K. Martz 010728-1 (BISH), Oppenheimer H60116 (BISH, PTBG), Oppenheimer H60126 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 4) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H110143 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 174)

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)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 130)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Naturalisé/±envahissant"
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves/Lavergne, Christophe (2004) (pp. 337, 349)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves/Lavergne, Christophe (2004) (p. 346)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Ruellia brevifolia, please let us know.