Tibouchina herbacea (DC) Cogn., Melastomataceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 24 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: cane ti, cane tibouchina, glorybush, tibouchina, tibouchinati

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Herbs or subshrubs up to 1 m tall; young branches quadrate, densely covered with spreading, simple, usually gland-tipped hairs.  Leaves ovate to oblong-ovate, 3-7.5 cm long, 1.3-3.5 cm wide, 5 (-7)-nerved with lateral primary veins confluent for 2-4 mm at base of blade, both surfaces moderately strigose, the hairs on upper surface adnate part of their length to the leaf surface, margins serrulate, apex acute, base rounded, petioles 3-10 mm long.  Inflorescences 10-20 cm long (incl. peduncle), bracts and bracteoles elliptic to broadly ovate, 1-3.5 mm long, 1-2 mm wide at base, tardily deciduous, ciliolate; hypanthium covered with spreading, simple, gland-tipped hairs; calyx lobes erect, deltate to ovate, 2-3 mm long, 1-2 mm wide at base, ciliolate; petals 4, pink, 6-11 mm long, 5-6 mm wide; larger anthers yellow, 2.5-4 mm long, with prolonged connective and appendage collectively ca. 0.5 mm long, smaller anthers 2-3 mm long, with shorter connective and appendage but otherwise as in larger anthers.  Fruiting hypanthium 4-5 mm long, 3.5-5 mm wide.  Seeds 0.25-0.5 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 915).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized and locally abundant in disturbed mesic to wet forest" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 915).  "Forms dense stands in pastures and disturbed forest sites.  Displaces native species"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Propagation:  "Prolific seeder, spread by birds"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Native range:  Southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 915).

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	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 914-915)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Herbarium Pacificum Staff (1999) (p. 5) Voucher cited: C. Imada, H. Oppenheimer, J.S. Meidell & C. Gemmill 98-3 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 914-915)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wydong, Michael/Hughes, Guy/Wood, K. R. (2007) (p. 5) Voucher cited: K.R. Wood & Hughes 10685 (PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2007) (p. 10) Voucher cited: R. Smith OISC 003 (BISH). "All plants located were controlled after identification".

Comments:  On the State of Hawai‘i noxious weed list.

Control: 

Chemical:  "Patty Welton (Haleakala National Park) reported application of undiluted triclopyr ester to the stem base provided 100% kill.  Pat Bily (TNC) reported triclopyr amine effective in foliar sprays with a surfactant and in cut-stump treatments.  Based on work with other melastomes, probably sensitive to 2,4-D, dicamba, triclopyr, and metsulfuron.  HAVO staff reported control with foliar application of glyphosate at 2% product in water (Chris Zimmer, HAVO)"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Biological:  Some work has been undertaken on biological control in Hawai‘i.

Additional information:
Information from the book "Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide" (Motooka et al., 2003). (PDF format).

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

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

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

References:

Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex. 2007. New plant records from O‘ahu for 2006. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2006. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 96:8-13.

Herbarium Pacificum Staff. 1999. New Hawaiian plant records for 1998. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1998. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 58:3-11.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2000. Preliminary review of the invasive plants in the Pacific islands (SPREP Member Countries). In: Sherley, G. (tech. ed.). Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Samoa. 190 pp.

Motooka, Philip/Castro, Luisa/Nelson, Duane/Nagai, Guy/Ching, Lincoln. 2003. Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. 184 pp.

U. S. Government. 2006. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Wydong, Michael/Hughes, Guy/Wood, K. R. 2007. New Hawaiian plant records for the island of Moloka‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2006. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 96:1-8.