Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Solanum seaforthianum
Andrews, Solanaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: nan qing qi

English: Brazilian nightshade, Italian jasmine, potato creeper, St. Vincent lilac, star potato vine

French: liane pomme de terre, liane pomme Édouard, petite liane patate

Spanish: guindilla

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Climbers to 3-4 m tall with slender stems, unarmed, glabrous except with simple, few-celled hairs along leaf margins, on veins of lower surface, and on corolla margins and tips, a few short glandular hairs on peduncles and pedicels.  Leaves usually pinnatifid, alternate, ovate in outline, ca. 5-8 cm long, partly or completely pinnately divided to midrib into 3-9 lobes, lowest lobe often smaller, other lobes oblanceolate, short-petiolate or broadly attached, sinuses rounded or acute, base oblique, petioles 2-4 cm long.  Flowers perfect, actinomorphic, few to 50 in showy panicles, at first terminal but soon becoming lateral by sympodial growth, pedicels slender, slightly thickened toward summit, ca. 1 cm long; calyx tubular, 1-2 mm long, the lobes short and obtuse, margins subentire; corolla mauve blue, stellate, deeply divided, the tube 2-3 mm long, the limb 2-3 cm in diameter, pubescent; stamens inserted on corolla tube; filaments 2-4 mm long; anthers oblong, stout, slightly unequal, ca. 4 mm long, opening by terminal pores; ovary glabrous or with a few glandular hairs; style 1, erect, 7-8 mm long; stigma terminal, capitate.  Berries bright shiny red, succulent, globose, ca. 1 cm in diameter.  Seeds reddish brown, compressed, 2-3 mm in diameter, shaggy pubescent.  Self-compatible"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1275-1276).

Habitat/ecology:  Tropical, invasive on rainforest edges and disturbed areas. In New Caledonia, "plante ornementale maintenant peu cultivée mais localement commune dans les fourrés secondaires, parfois loin de toute habitation" (MacKee, 1994; p. 133).

Propagation:  Seed, bird-dispersed.

Native range:  West Indies; widely grown as an ornamental and naturalized in many tropical areas (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1275-1276).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
French Polynesia
Marquesas Islands
Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island introduced
invasive
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
Naturalisé
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island introduced
invasive
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
Naturalisé
French Polynesia
Austral (Tubuai) Islands
Raivavae (Raevavae) Island introduced
invasive
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
Naturalisé
French Polynesia
Austral (Tubuai) Islands
Rurutu Island introduced
invasive
Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
Naturalisé
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Hawai‘i (Big) Island introduced
invasive
Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2003) (p. 19)
Voucher cited: C. Imada, T. Kelley & C. Puttock 2001-18 (BISH)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Kaua‘i Island introduced
Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 150)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1275-1277)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Moloka‘i Island introduced
Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 150)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
O‘ahu Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1275-1277)
Voucher cited: Rock 17162 (BISH)
New Caledonia
Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)
Île Lifou introduced
invasive
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 133)
Vouchers cited: Bergeret 29, MacKee 5201
New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Islands   Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 97)
New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Islands introduced
invasive
cultivated
Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe (1996) (p. 383)
Localement commune dans les fourrés secondaires, parfois loin de toute habitation.
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île Grande Terre introduced
invasive
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 133)
Vouchers cited: Franc 1810, Däniker 24, MacKee 2006, Morat 6337 (NOU), Suprin 2096 (NOU)
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île Grande Terre   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1949) (voucher ID: BISH 10848)
Taxon name on voucher: Solanum seaforthianum Andrews
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île Grande Terre   National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1982) (voucher ID: PTBG 32933)
Taxon name on voucher: Solanum seaforthianum Andr.
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île des Pins (Isle of Pines) introduced
invasive
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 133)
Voucher cited: Baumann 13911
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île Leprédour introduced
invasive
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 133)
Voucher cited: Boulet in MacKee 20579
Papua New Guinea
Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago introduced
cultivated
Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 498)
Widely cultivated as an ornamental.
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Êfaté (Efete) Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 424751)
Taxon name on voucher: Solanum seaforthianum Andrews
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Êfaté (Efete) Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1980) (voucher ID: BISH 618521)
Taxon name on voucher: Solanum seaforthianum Andrews
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Tanna Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1977) (voucher ID: BISH 415789)
Taxon name on voucher: Solanum seaforthianum Andrews
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Vanuatu (Republic of)   Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 97)
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)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 342)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland introduced
invasive
Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 7)
China
China
China (People's Republic of) introduced
invasive
cultivated
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011)
Near roads, cultivated in gardens; 600-1300 m. Yunnan.
Colombia
Colombia
Colombia (Republic of) uncertain if native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Naturalized?
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (Republic of) uncertain if native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Naturalized?
El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador (Republic of) uncertain if native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Naturalized?
Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala (Republic of) uncertain if native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Naturalized?
Honduras
Honduras
Honduras (Republic of) uncertain if native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Naturalized?
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States) uncertain if native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Naturalized?
Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (Republic of) uncertain if native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Naturalized?
Panama
Panama
Panama (Republic of) uncertain if native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Naturalized?
Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Ching-I Peng, ed. (2011)
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
cultivated
Lavergne, Christophe (2006)
"Cultivé/subspontanée"
La Réunion (France)
La Réunion Island
La Réunion Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Comité français de l'Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature en France (2010)
French Territory of Mayotte
Mayotte Islands
Mayotte Island introduced
invasive
Comité français de l'Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature en France (2010)

Additional information:
Information from Solanaceae Source.

Additional online information about Solanum seaforthianum is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

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

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

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1949. Voucher specimen #BISH 10848 (Bryan 1660).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1977. Voucher specimen #BISH 415789 (Krauss, N.L.H. 1459).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1978. Voucher specimen #BISH 424751 (Krauss, N.L.H. 1590).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1980. Voucher specimen #BISH 618521 (Krauss, N.L.H. 1689).

Ching-I Peng, ed. 2011. Digital flora of Taiwan (online resource).

Comité français de l'Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature en France. 2010. Les espéces envahissantes en outre-mer (online resource).

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe. 1996. Conséquences des introductions d'espèces animales et végétales sur la biodiversité en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 51:375-401.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

Lavergne, Christophe. 2006. List des especes exotiques envahissantes a La Reunion. Unpublished manuscript (Excel file). .

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 1982. Voucher specimen #PTBG32933(Gordon McPherson 4778).

Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty]. 1984. Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago for naturalists. Office of Forests, Division of Botany, Lae, Papua New Guinea. 638 pp. ISBN 9980-66-000-7.

Queensland Herbarium. 2002. Invasive Naturalised Plants in Southeast Queensland, alphabetical by genus. Modified from: Batianoff, George N. and Butler, Don W. (2002). Assessment of Invasive naturalized plants in south-east Queensland. Appendix. Plant Protection Quarterly 17, 27-34. 11 pp.

Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. 2003. New Hawaiian plant records for 2001. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2001-2002. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 74:7-21.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

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

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Wester, Lyndon. 1992. Origin and distribution of adventive flowering plants in Hawai‘i. In: Stone, Charles P.; Smith, Clifford W. and Tunison, J. Timothy. Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawaii: Management and Research. University of Hawaii, Cooperative National Park Research Studies Unit, Honolulu. University of Hawaii Press. .

Whistler, W. A. 2000. Tropical ornamentals: a guide. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 542 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 1 JAN 1999 and was last updated on 8 JUN 2011.