Tetrastigma pubinerve Merr. & Chun, Vitaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 8 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: mao mai ya pa teng

Habit:  vine

Description:  Lianas, woody. Branchlets terete, with longitudinal ridges, transversely corrugated when dry, pubescent, then glabrescent; tendrils unbranched. Leaves pedately 5-foliolate; petiole 4-10.5 (-15) cm; central petiolule 1-2.5 cm, petiolules of lateral leaflet complex 1-2.5 cm, lateral petiolules 0.5-2 cm, transversely corrugated when dry, sparsely pubescent, then glabrescent; leaflets only pubescent abaxially on veins, then glabrescent, lateral veins 7-9 pairs, veinlets raised abaxially; central leaflet elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 12-25 x 4-7 cm, base broadly cuneate, margin 6-8-toothed on each side, apex acute or acuminate; lateral leaflets ovate-lanceolate or ovate-elliptic, 6-20 x 2.5-7 cm, base cuneate or subrounded, margin 4-7-toothed on each side, apex acute, acuminate, or obtuse. Inflorescence umbelliform, axillary, with nodes and bracts at lower portion; peduncle 1.3-2 cm, pubescent. Pedicel (2-) 3-4 mm, pubescent. Buds obovoid, 2.5-3.5 mm, apex subtruncate. Calyx shallow and saucer-shaped, papillose, teeth inconspicuous. Petals elliptic, 2-3 mm, apex corniculate, papillose. Anthers yellow, elliptic. Disk inconspicuous and annular in female flowers. Ovary ovoid, lower part of ovary adnate to disk; style inconspicuous; stigma 4-lobed. Berry globose, 1-1.2 cm in diameter, 2 (or 3)-seeded. Seeds obovoid, base sharp, apex retuse, ventral holes furrowed upward from middle to apex" (Flora of China online).

Habitat/ecology:  In its native China, "forests in valleys, shrublands on hillsides; 300-600 m" (Flora of China online).

In Hawai‘i, "the known infestation covers approximately 4 acres, where it claims into the canopy of mixed non-native trees, sometimes smothering them"  (Oppenheimer & Bartlett, 2000; p. 9).  "This climber thrives in hot, sunny conditions and can drape a tree or fence, forming a dense screen of clossy foliage"  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 573).

Propagation:  Seed, spread by birds; also vegetatively (Staples et al., 2000; p. 31).

Native range:  China  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 573). China, Cambodia and Vietnam (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2012) (p. 49) Voucher cited: D. Frohlich & A. Lau 2010033101 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L./Bartlett, R. T. (2000) (p. 9) West Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer & Annable H29910 (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 573)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011)

Additional information:
Information from the Bugwood Wiki.

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

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

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

References:

Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex. 2012. New plant records for the Hawaiian Islands 2010-2011. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2011. Part II: Plants. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 113:27-54.

Oppenheimer, Hank L./Bartlett, R. T. 2000. New plant records from Maui, O‘ahu, and the Hawai‘i Islands. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1999. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 64:1-10.

Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2005. A tropical garden flora: plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 908 pp.

Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral/Imada, Clyde T. 2000. Survey of invasive or potentially invasive cultivated plants in Hawai‘i. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers No. 65. 35 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).