Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson, Rutaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment).

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: lemon China, lemon de china, lemoncito, lemondichina, limon de china, limon-China, limoncito

English: limeberry, orange berry, trifoliate limeberry, triphasia

French: orangine, petite citronelle

Samoan: moli vai atigi lima, vali atigi lima

Yapese: gurugur ni lym

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrub; glabrous; spines paired in leaf axils; leaves 3-foliate, the terminal leaflet largest (2-4 cm long); petiolules and petioles short (5 mm or less); flowers 1-3 in axils on peduncles 3-4 mm long; flowers 3-parted, white; stamens 6; ovary 3-locular; locules 1-seeded; fruit ovoid, 1-1.5 cm long, reddish to crimson, 1-3-seeded; flesh mucilaginous" (Stone, 1970; pp. 350-351).

Habitat/ecology:  "Common naturalized shrub of limestone, in undergrowth, sometimes forming dense, spiny thickets" (Stone, 1970; pp. 350-351). In Fiji, "sparingly cultivated near sea level and naturalized in dry waste places on Viti Levu"  (Smith, 1985; p. 514).

Propagation:  Seed, possibly bird-dispersed.

Native range:  Southeast Asia and Malaysia, now widely cultivated and naturalized.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Aguijan (Agiguan, Aguihan) Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 40)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Northern Mariana Islands	introduced	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 102) "Potential invader".
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 125)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. (1975) (p. 29) Voucher cited: Moore 402 (US)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 125)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Denslow, Julie S./Nelson, Duane (2000) (p. 6)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 38752) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1952) (voucher ID: BISH 178691) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 40)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Saipan	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 125)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 24) Single plant, voucher cited: Flynn 7217 (PTBG)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2005) (voucher ID: PTBG 42634) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 125)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1948) (voucher ID: BISH 178694) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 178695) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 514) Vouchers cited: DA 11538, H.B.R. Parham 307
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (pp. 350-351) Possibly native.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 125)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, Barbara (year unknown) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher: BMW 5820 (BISH, BRI, MEL, GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 23002) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 38749) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1949) (voucher ID: BISH 38750) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 38751) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1918) (voucher ID: BISH 178690) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1970) (voucher ID: BISH 443814) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 571344) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1987) (voucher ID: BISH 604933) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral/Imada, Clyde T. (2000) (p. 29)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lau, Alex/Frohlich, Danielle (2012) (p. 22) Voucher cited: OED 2009080501 (BISH)
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago	introduced cultivated	Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 278) Widly planted.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	probably introduced invasive	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (pp. 338-339) In the settled areas, in thickets, in some places gregarious and abundant; apparently introduced.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1989) (voucher ID: PTBG 3022) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 97)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 116)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced abo. intro.	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 88) Cultivated only

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	native	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1993) (p. 19)
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Cocos (Keeling) Islands	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1993) (p. 39) North Keeling Island
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced	Topp, J. M. W. (1988) (p. 5)
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. Arthur (1996) (p. 29)
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Rivers, Julie (2004) (pp. 5, 8)
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1995) (voucher ID: PTBG 38073) Taxon name on voucher: Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) Paul G.Wilson
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Cultivé/naturalisé"
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Comité français de l'Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature en France (2013) "Envahissant".
Maldives Maldive Islands	Malè Atoll	cultivated	Fosberg, F. R. (1957) (p. 23)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Comments:  Naturalized within limestone forests of Guam. Especially prevalent on forest edges.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Triphasia trifolia, please let us know.