Tetrapanax papyrifer (W. J. Hooker) K. Koch, Araliaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Evaluate, score: 5 (Go to the risk assessment (Pacific))
Evaluate, score: 6 (Go to the risk assessment (U.S. Florida))

Other Latin names:  Aralia papyrifera Hook.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: tong tuo mu

English: Chinese rice-paper plant, rice-paper plant

French: aralie à papier

Spanish: aralia

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  "Shrubs or small trees, to 3.5 m tall, densely ferruginous or pale brown stellate tomentose. Trunk to 9 cm in diameter; pith homogeneous, white, large. Petiole terete, to 50 cm, glabrous; leaf blade ovate-oblong, 50-75 cm wide, papery or subleathery, abaxially densely ferruginous or stellate tomentose, adaxially glabrous, 7-12-lobed, base obtuse to cordate, margin entire to coarsely serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescence terminal, peduncles 1-1.5 cm; umbels 1-2 cm in diameter, many flowered. Flowers yellowish white. Calyx ca. 1 mm, densely stellate tomentose. Corolla petals 4 (or 5), ca. 2 mm, densely stellate tomentose. Stamens 4 (or 5); filaments ca. 3 mm. Fruit dark purple at maturity, globose, ca. 4 mm in diameter"  (Flora of China online).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand, "waste places, scrubland, pasture, gardens"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 147).  On Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands, "An escape from cultivation, preferring damp sites, now establishing itself by stoloniferous growth"  (Flora of Australia online).  In China, "mixed thickets; 100-2800 m"  (Flora of China online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands (GRIN).  Southern China and Taiwan  (Flora of Australia online).  "Probably native to Taiwan and introduced in S. China"  (Flora of China online).

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) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Australian Biological Resources Study (2013) Vouchers cited: M.M.J. van Balgooy 1049 (K), G. Uhe 1321 (K)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Australian Biological Resources Study (2013) Voucher cited: W.R. Sykes NI 471 (CHR)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2012) (p. 56) Voucher cited: J. Parker & R. Parsons BIED80 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Lau, Alex/Frohlich, Danielle (2012) (p. 8) Voucher cited: OED 2009010901 (BISH)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 19) Vouchers cited: MacKee 28874, Harbulot in MacKee 44095

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 186)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	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. 147)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

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)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Tetrapanax papyrifer, please let us know.