Stylosanthes hamata Taub., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: you gou zhu hua cao

English: Caribbean stylo, Caribbean stylo, cheesytoes, verano

Spanish: verano

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Herbs or shrublets, 10-50 cm tall, prostrate or ascending. Stems sparsely pubescent. Stipules sheathing, 4-12 mm. Leaves 3-foliolate; petiole short; petiolules ca. 0.5 mm; leaflet blades ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, 8-14 x 3-5 mm, commonly glabrous, base cuneate, margin setose, apex acute and mucronate. Inflorescences 1-1.5 cm, with 2-10 clustered flowers, each flower subtended by a rudimentary axis; primary bracts 1-1.2 cm, spreading setose; secondary bracts 2-3.5 x ca. 0.5 mm. Bracteoles ca. 2 mm. Hypanthium 2-2.5 mm. Calyx tube oblong, ca. 2 x 1 mm. Corolla yellow, with red slender striations; standard ca. 4 x 3 mm. Legume quadrate, 2-3.5 x ca. 2 mm, commonly pubescent, with 2 articles, beak 3-3.5 mm and uncinate. Seeds light brown, ellipsoid, ca. 2 x 1 mm"  (Flora of China online).

"Herb with trifoliate leaves, small yellow pea flowers and stipules. Short-lived, much-branched, low, spreading perennial to 0.5 m tall; band of fine whitish hairs on stem and lacks bristles.  Leaflets prominently veined, 10-28 mm long, 2-5 mm wide.  Pod with hook c. 4 mm.  Seed reddish-brown" (Smith, 2002; pp. 65-66).

Habitat/ecology:  "Grow on a wide range of soils including lighter, poorer quality soils.  Suited to warm humid areas with high rainfall.  Establish on disturbed sites, along roadsides and around settlements." (Smith, 2002; pp. 65-66).

Propagation:  "Large amounts of seed produced and dispersed by stock and animal movement, as a contaminant of hay, and by vehicles and machinery, e.g. slashers and graders" (Smith, 2002; pp. 65-66).

Native range:  Florida, Caribbean, Central and South America (GRIN).

Presence:

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)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (pp. 65-66)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (pp. 65-66)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) "Reported as cultivated in Hainan".
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	possibly native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Information from FAO.

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

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

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

References:

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2011. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

Smith, Nicholas M. 2002. Weeds of the wet/dry tropics of Australia - a field guide. Environment Centre NT, Inc. 112 pp.

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

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