Tibouchina longifolia (Vahl) Baill. ex Cogn., Melastomataceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 3 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Rhexia longifolia Vahl

Common name(s): [more details]

English: longleaf glorytree

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Laxly branched subshrubs 0.5-2 m tall; young branches subquadrate, densely covered with appressed to antrorsely spreading, smooth hairs.  Leaves narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 3.5-11.5 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, (3-) 5 (-7)-nerved with the lateral primary veins confluent for 1-5 mm at base of blade, both surfaces strigose, the hairs on upper surface adnate part of their length to the leaf surface, margins subentire, apex acute to acuminate, base acute, petioles 3-13 mm long.  Inflorescences 5-17 cm long (incl. peduncle), bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 1-5 mm long, 0.5-2 mm wide, bracteoles not enclosing nor concealing floral buds, deciduous; hypanthium strigose; calyx lobes spreading or recurved, linear-subulate, 2.5-3.5 mm long, 1 mm wide at base, persistent on fruiting hypanthium, ciliate; petals 5, white, 5-7 mm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, stamens all nearly similar; anthers 1.5-2 mm long, with prolonged connective and appendage collectively ca. 0.25 mm long; filaments glabrous.  Fruiting hypanthium 4-4.5 mm long, 3-4 mm wide.  Seeds 0.25-0.5 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 916).

Habitat/ecology:  In Guatemala (native), "wet to dry thickets or open forest, often in pine-oak forest, sometimes in open or old fields, often in second growth, sometimes on brushy, rocky hillsides, 150-2,000 meters"  (Standley and Williams, 1963; 24(4)514).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Native to the Neotropics, where it is weedy and widespread from Mexico and the West Indies to Bolivia and Brazil"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 916).

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	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 916) Voucher cited: K. Nagata 2636 (BISH, CAS)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	Standley, Paul C./Williams, Louis Otho (1963) (p. 24(4)514)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011) Guerrero, Oaxaca, Veracruz
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011) Junin, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Pasco, Piura

Additional information:
Report (PDF format) from US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station, Hawai‘i "Plants of Hawaii".

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

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

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

References:

Standley, Paul C./Williams, Louis Otho. 1963. Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana: Botany. Vol. 24, Part VII, No. 4. Chicago Natural History Museum. 163 pp.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

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).