Stylosanthes humilis H.B.K., Fabaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Stylosanthes figueroae Mohlenbr.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Townsville lucerne, Townsville stylo

French: luzerne de Townsville

Spanish: alfalfa estilosante

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Prostrate to semi-erect herb; stipules scarious, fused to each other and to the basal part of the petiole but with free filiform apices, sparsely glandular-pubescent, persistent even after leaf fall; leaves pinnately trifoliolate; leaflets bluish green, narrowly elliptic to linear-lanceolate, glabrous but for a few scattered, yellowish glandular hairs; inflorescence an axillary or subterminal, few-flowered, congested head, the bracts and bracteoles with a dense clothing of long, stiff, yellowish, glandular hairs; corolla yellow; fruit usually a single 1-seeded article with the style persisting as an apical coiled beak" (Lewis & Owen, 1989).

"Herb with trifoliate leaves, small yellow pea flowers and stipules.  Much-branched, prostrate to ascending perennial herb; stems 3-40 cm long with a line of minute hairs on stem and bristles on most parts.  Leaflets 5-25 mm long, 1.8-5 mm wide.  Pods silky with hook 4-6 mm long.  Seed yellow-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).

In Fiji, "cultivated near sea level and perhaps locally and sparingly naturalized". (Smith, 1985; p. 259). On Christmas Island (Indian Ocean), introduced with grass seed for a golf course and now naturalized on roadsides and disturbed areas (Swarbrick, 1997; p. 128).

In New Caledonia, "introduit comme fourrage. Moins répandu que S. guianensis mais parfois localement abondant en dehors des pâturages" (MacKee, 1994; p. 90).

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:  Mexico; Central and northern South America (GRIN).

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	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 259) Vouchers cited: DA 2822, DA 2883, DA 3074, DA 12311, DA 13280, DA 5827, DA 7515 Perhaps locally and sparingly naturalized.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 10350 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 10715 (PAP) Adventice
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 119)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 90) Vouchers cited: Botton in Veillon 1124 (NOU), MacKee 23804, MacKee 33177, MacKee 42360, Suprin in MacKee 44391
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 286) Taxon name on voucher: Stylosanthes humilis

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 cultivated	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (pp. 65-66)
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)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 82) Naturalised

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced invasive	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 128)

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

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

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

References:

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

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).

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

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

Lewis, G. P./Owen, P. E. 1989. Legumes of the Ilha de Maracá. Royal Botanic Gardens.

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.). 2002. Voucher specimen #PTBG286(Tim Flynn 6956).

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

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

Swarbrick, J. T. 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: a report to Parks Australia. 101 pp. plus appendix.

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