Triplaris weigeltiana (Reichb.) Kuntze, Polygonaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Triplaris surinamensis Cham., Blochmannia weigeltiana Rchb.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: long jack, long john

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees to 5 m tall or more; leaves subsessile, the blades 10-22 cm long, 4-6 cm wide, acute apically, cuneate basally, entire, longitudinally lined, and with numerous pairs of prominent lateral veins; spikes 6-10 cm long, bearing numerous ovate to ovate-lanceolate, hirtellous bracts; pistillate perianth accrescent and enclosing the fruit, three of the sepals much enlarged, 2.8-3.2 cm long, 4-5 mm wide, suffused red purple, showy; achene ca 1 cm long (including the style), the styles red purple" (Welsh, 1998; p. 222).

Habitat/ecology:  In Tahiti, invading lowland mesic valleys.

Propagation:  Wind-dispersed seed.

Native range:  South America.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 93) Mesic/wet habitats.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 222) Voucher cited: BRY 26001
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 340-342)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2006) (p. Voucher specimens) Vouchers cited: GAMcE s.n. (BISH 63779), Tong s.n. (BISH 63780), Lau 1809 (BISH 534027)

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. (2007)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Comments:  Listed as moderately invasive in French Polynesia (Meyer, 2000; p. 93).

Additional information:  Additional online information about Triplaris weigeltiana is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

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

References:

Florence, J. 2004. Flore de la Polynésie française, Vol. 2. Paris. IRE Editions, Publications Scientifiques, Collection Faune et Flore Tropicales 41. 503 pp.

Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2006. Annotated checklist of cultivated plants of Hawai‘i (online searchable database).

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.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.