Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Thaumatococcus daniellii
(Benn.) Benth. ex B. D. Jacks., Marantaceae
No images for this taxon


Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Phrynium daniellii Benn.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: katempfe, miracle berry, miracle-fruit, sweet prayer plant

Habit:  herb

Description: 

Genus:  "Leaves ovate-elliptic, rounded-truncate at the base, shortly acuminate, up to 46 cm long and 30 cm broad, papery, with very numerous parallel nerves diverging from the midrib at an angle of about 45 degrees; petiole subterete; spikes simple or forked, about 10 cm long; bracts imbricate, 4 cm long; flowers as long as the bracts; sepals broadly linear, 1 cm long; corolla-tube very short, lobes oblong, 2.5 cm long; ovary silky; fruit 3-winged, hard, 3 cm in diameter" (Hutchinson & Dalziel, 1968).

Species:  A herb up to 10 ft. high; rhizome slender, creeping; spikes arising from the base, rough with the scars of fallen flowers, the latter pale purple; fruit crimson, at or below ground-level; seeds black, hard, shining" (Hutchinson & Dalziel, 1968; vol. III, part 1, pp. 81-82).

Habitat/ecology:  In Australia, naturalized on the edges of tropical rainforest (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 131).  "In large clumps in forest" (Hutchinson & Dalziel, 1968; vol. III, part 1, pp. 81-82).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical Africa (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)
Australia (continental) introduced
invasive
cultivated
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 131)
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore (Republic of) introduced
invasive
Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 86)
Casual

Comments:  A potential invasive species in Australia (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 131).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Thaumatococcus daniellii, please let us know.


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

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This page was created on 1 JUL 2004 and was last updated on 26 OCT 2006.