Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: li wei dou

Fijian: lakanikasa, lakanirase, setamoli

Niuean: uluhenga

Samoan: lala, lala

Tongan: hiku ‘i pusi, iku ‘i pusi

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Herbs, prostrate or spreading, to 60 cm tall. Leaves mostly 3-foliolate, rarely 1-foliolate; petiole 1-2 cm; terminal leaflet blade nearly orbicular or elliptic to ovate, 2-6 x 1.5-3 cm, abaxially gray-yellow pubescent, base rounded or cordate, apex rounded or emarginate. Racemes terminal, 3-6 cm, densely flowered. Pedicel ca. 4 mm, sparsely white villous. Calyx 5-parted; lower lobes ca. 2 x as long as upper ones, white villous. Corolla pale purple, ca. 6 mm; standard obovate, base attenuate. Ovary glabrous, 1- or 2-ovuled. Legume enclosed by calyx, black-brown at maturity, small; articles 1 or 2, elliptic, ca. 2.5 mm, swollen, glabrous, slightly lucid"  (Flora of China online).

"A sprawling or suberect herb to 60 cm high, with a stem somewhat woody at base and with soft, pale hairs and a few uncinate hairs on may parts.  The leaves are 1- or 3-foliolate, the leaflets ovate to obovate, the terminal one larger than the laterals, 2-8 x 1.5-6 cm.  The compact inflorescences seldom exceed 6 cm in length; the petals are pale reddish purple, turning bluish or nearly white, and the fruits commonly have only 2 (sometimes 1) segments"  (Smith, 1985; pp. 196-198).

Habitat/ecology:  "Uncommon to occasional in lawns and waste places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 28).

In Fiji, "common on grassy slopes in the dry zone, especially along leeward coasts, and it may be found up to 750 m elevation as a weed in pastures, plantations, villages, and waste places"  (Smith, 1985; pp. 196-198). In Niue, "occasionally seen in old pastures or waste places, where it is locally common" (Sykes, 1970; p. 161).  In Tonga, "occasional as a weed in plantations and waste areas"  (Yuncker, 1959; p. 142). In New Caledonia, "probablement indigène ou d'introduction ancienne" (MacKee, 1994; p. 91).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Northern India and southern China throughout Malesia to northern Australia, and eastward in the Pacific to Fiji and Samoa, apparently adventive in Tonga, Niue, and elsewhere" (Smith, 1985; pp. 196-198).  "Probably an aboriginal introduction to Western Polynesia" (Whistler, 1988; p. 28).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island		Whistler, W. A. (1990) Voucher cited: Barber 6456
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1945) (p. 42) Voucher cited: Garber 645b (BISH)
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island	invasive	Setchell, William Albert (1924) (p. 90)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Koro Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 196-198) Voucher cited: DA 3434
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ngau Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 196-198) Voucher cited: DA 3434
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 196-198) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 5E, Seemann 108
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Mbalavu Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 196-198) Voucher cited: DA 10237
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 196-198) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 1248, 5B, 5C; Gillespie 4322; DA 11702; DA 2782; DA 3335; DA 2581
Fiji Fiji Islands	Yasawas Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 196-198) Voucher cited: St. John 18142
Fiji Fiji Islands	Yathata Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 196-198) Voucher cited: Bryan 593
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands	probably native	Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 98)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands	native	Jaffré, T./Morat, P./Veillon, J-M./Rigault, F./Dagostini, G. (2001) (p. 78)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	probably native	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 91) "Probablement indigè ou d'introduction ancienne". Vouchers cited: Vieillard 364, Balansa 1326, Cribs 727, Sarain 534, MacKee 4725, MacKee 12085, MacKee 13524, MacKee 30624
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)	probably native	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 91) "Probablement indigè ou d'introduction ancienne". Voucher cited: Germain s.n.
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 161) Vouchers cited: CHR 150515, CHR 150516
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 28)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 62) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 9892 (BISH), Yuncker 10203 (BISH) "Occasional in waste areas and clearings".
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1982) (voucher ID: BNM 3196) Taxon name on voucher: Uraria lagopodioides (L.) DC.
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago		Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 239) Not rare; in scrub and grassland.
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 374)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 293) In oopen grasslands at low and medium altitudes, often abundant.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 310) Taxon name on voucher: Uraria lagopodioides
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands	native	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 196-198)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 28) Native or early introduction.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	probably native	Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 98)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Ha‘apai Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 33) Voucher cited: Soakai 526
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Nomuka Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 142) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15805
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 196-198)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 142) "Throughout Tonga"
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 33) Voucher cited: Parks 16024
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 142) Cited: Lister.
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 33) Vouchers cited: Soakai 191, Soakai 454
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 142) Cited: Home.
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Niuatoputapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 142) Voucher cited: Hülimann 367
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Tafahi Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 142) Voucher cited: Hülimann 544
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 142) Cited: Crosby.
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Burkill, I. H. (1900) (p. 34)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Futuna Island	native	Morat, Ph./Veillon, J.-M. (1985) Morat & Veillon, 1985, cited in Meyer, 2007
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2007) (p. 35)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis and Futuna Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 28) Native or early introduction per Whistler.

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)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) "Open waste slopes, thickets; below 1000 m".
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 155)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) "Open waste slopes, thickets; below 1000 m".
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
India (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Andaman Islands	Andaman Islands	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)

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

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

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

References:

Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.). 1982. Voucher specimen #BNM3196(Timberlake, J. 3196).

Burkill, I. H. 1900. The flora of Vavau, one of the Tonga Islands, with a short account of its vegetation by Charles Steele Crosby. Lin. Jour. Bot. 35:20-65.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2011. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

Jaffré, T./Morat, P./Veillon, J-M./Rigault, F./Dagostini, G. 2001. Composition and characterisation of the native flora of New Caledonia. Documents Scientifiques et Techniques, II4, IRD, Centre de Noum&#eacute;a, 121 p.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Merrill, Elmer D. 1923. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants, vol. 2 [reprint]. Bureau of Printing, Manila. 530 pp.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2007. Rapport de mission sur l'Ile d'Uvea (Wallis & Futuna) du 6 au 17 Novembre 2007: Inventaire preliminaire de la flore vasculaire secondaire [unpublished report]. Délégation à la Recherche, Ministère de l'Education, l'Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche, B.P. 20981 Papeete, Tahiti, Polynésie française. 39 pp.

Morat, Ph./Veillon, J.-M. 1985. Contribution à la connaissance de la végétation et de la flore de Wallis & Futuna. Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat., Paris, 4e sér., 7, section B. Adansonia 3 : 259-329.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2002. Voucher specimen #PTBG310(Tim Flynn 6967).

Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty]. 1984. Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago for naturalists. Office of Forests, Division of Botany, Lae, Papua New Guinea. 638 pp. ISBN 9980-66-000-7.

Setchell, William Albert. 1924. American Samoa; part I. Vegetation of Tutuila Island. part II. Ethnobotany of the Samoans. part III. Vegetation of Rose Atoll. The Carnegie Institution of Washington. 275 pp. + illus.

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

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

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1990. The weeds of Manu‘a [unpublished checklist]. 18 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1991. The ethnobotany of Tonga: The plants, their Tongan names, and their uses. Bishop Museum Bulletin in Botany 2. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 155 pp. ISBN 0-930897-57-9.

Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flora of Tonga [unpublished checklist]. 107 pp.

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1945. Plants of the Manua Islands. Bishop Mus. Bull. 184. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 73 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).