Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl., Acanthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 11 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Thunbergia grandiflora var. laurifolia (Lindley) Benoist; Thunbergia harrisii Hook.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: laurel clock vine, laurel-leaved clockvine, laurel-leaved thunbergia, purple allamanda

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Climbers with ovate-oblong or sublanceolate subentire to slightly crenate leaves, obtuse or subcordate, acute-acuminate, pinnately nerved, glabrous, mostly 7-18 cm long and 2.5-6 cm wide, on petioles up to 6 cm long; bracteoles persistent, 4-5 cm long; calyx truncate; corolla blue-violet to white, tube 3.5-4.5 cm long, limb 6-8 cm broad; capsule up to 1.5 cm wide, the beak to 3 cm long" (Stone, 1970; p. 537).

"Differs from [T.] grandiflora principally in the narrower, 3-7 cm wide, ovate to oblong, rarely lobed but frequently very coarsely repand-serrate leaves, acuminate at apex, usually shorter petioles and more slender, often shorter pedicels, often more congested racemes. 

Habitat/ecology:  Climbing vine. Moist areas at low elevations.

Propagation:  Seeds, cuttings, and fragments of stems and roots. Cultivated as an ornamental and can spread from dumping of garden cuttings.

Native range:  "Apparently native to Malaysia and Myanmar, widely cultivated in the tropics"  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 94).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Sykes, Bill (year unknown) Naturalized on the basalt cliff behind Avarua per Sykes.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 120) Voucher cited: DA 10402
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 24) Voucher cited: BRY 25407
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 24) Voucher cited: Fosberg 36549
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 599735) Taxon name on voucher: Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 24) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 62923, Grant 4305
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 3349 (PAP), F.R. Fosberg 62923 (PAP) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 492849) Taxon name on voucher: Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 537)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 260)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 4) Vouchers cited: Oppenheimer H70130 (BISH, PTBG), Oppenheimer H70136 (BISH, PTBG) Common and locally abundant.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 175-176)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2006) (p. 31) Voucher cited: Starr, Starr, Anderson & Anderson 050623-4 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (1999) (p. 11) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Martz 980507-7 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 175-176)
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced invasive	Toyoda, Takeshi (2003) (p. 289) Naturalized
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (pp. 9-10) Vouchers cited: Guillaumin 8600, Blanchon 1066, MacKee 20618
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 469) Occasionally planted for ornamental purposes.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 68)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Kolombagara Island	introduced invasive	Orapa, Warea (2005) Ringgi
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Êfaté (Efete) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1986) (voucher ID: BISH 523781) Taxon name on voucher: Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl.
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Futuna Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Orapa, Warea (2005) Large patch behind abandoned college.
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced cultivated	Orapa, Warea (2005)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced cultivated	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2007) (p. 30)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced cultivated	Meyer, Jean-Yves/Jourdan, Hervé/Malau, Atoloto (2008) (p. 9) "Showing signs of invasion".

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 cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 131)
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves/Lavergne, Christophe (2004) (p. 338)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 131)
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 255) Ornamental.

Comments:  Present but not particularly invasive in French Polynesia. Some small but serious infestations in Australia, where it is targeted for eradication.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Thunbergia laurifolia, please let us know.