Research directed by C. Daehler (UH Botany) with funding from the Kaulunani Urban Forestry Program and US Forest Service

Information on Risk Assessments
Original risk assessment

Odontonema cuspidatum (Thyrsacanthus cuspidatus); firespike

Answer

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated?

y=-3, n=0

n

1.02

Has the species become naturalized where grown?

y=-1, n=-1

y

1.03

Does the species have weedy races?

y=-1, n=-1

n

2.01

Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) – If island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute “wet tropical” for “tropical or subtropical”

See Append 2

2

2.02

Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2

2

2.03

Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility)

y=1, n=0

y

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

y=1, n=0

y

2.05

Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2

?=-1, n=0

y

3.01

Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05

y

3.02

Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.03

Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.04

Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.05

Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y=1, n=0

n

4.02

Allelopathic

y=1, n=0

n

4.03

Parasitic

y=1, n=0

n

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

y=1, n=-1

4.05

Toxic to animals

y=1, n=0

n

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

y=1, n=0

n

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

y=1, n=0

n

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

y=1, n=0

n

4.09

Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle

y=1, n=0

y

4.1

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island)

y=1, n=0

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y=1, n=0

n

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y=1, n=0

n

5.01

Aquatic

y=5, n=0

n

5.02

Grass

y=1, n=0

n

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

y=1, n=0

n

5.04

Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers)

y=1, n=0

n

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

y=1, n=0

n

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y=1, n=-1

y

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

y=1, n=-1

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

y=1, n=-1

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

y=-1, n=0

y

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y=1, n=-1

y

6.07

Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1

See left

7.01

Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas)

y=1, n=-1

y

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y=1, n=-1

y

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

y=1, n=-1

n

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

y=1, n=-1

n

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

y=1, n=-1

n

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

y=1, n=-1

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

y=1, n=-1

n

8.02

Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr)

y=1, n=-1

8.03

Well controlled by herbicides

y=-1, n=1

8.04

Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire

y=1, n=-1

y

8.05

Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)

y=-1, n=1

Total score:

3

Source

Notes

1.01

no evidence

1.02

(1)Staples, G.W., Imada, C.T. & Herbst, D.R. (2000) New Hawaiian Plant Records for 2000. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2000. BishopMuseum Occasional Papers 68: 3–18. p.4 (2)http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf (3)Wunderlin, R.P. 1998. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.

(1)"Fire spike was first reported as a naturalized species by Lorence et al. (1995) from the island of Kaua'i. The following collections document its widespread distribution on the Big Island. Elsewhere in these Records it is documented as naturalized on Maui (Oppenheimer & Bartlett, 2002). Grown throughout the state as an ornamental shrub, O. cuspidatum is likely to escape and become naturalized anywhere it is grown." (2)The species has naturalized and escaped in at least Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Cuba (Liogier, H.A. 1997.Most of the stands of cardinal’s guard in Puerto Rico have originated from abandoned gardens or errant pieces of stem or root that have been transported by streams or dumped in the woods with garden prunings. Once established, plants spread by root suckers. The stems also layer (root) readily when they become prostrate. (3)Florida: Rare escape from cultivation in disturbed hammocks

1.03

no evidence

2.01

John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf>

Range.—Cardinal's guard is native from Mexico to Panama (Stevens, W.D., C. Ulloa-U., A. Pool, and O.M. Montiel (eds.). 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monographs in systematic botany Vol. 85, No. 1. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. 943 p.).

2.02

2.03

(1)John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf> (2)http://www.tytyga.com/perrenials/southern/pg37.htm (3)http://mobot.mobot.org/cgi-bin/search_vast

(1)"In central America, it grows from near sea level to 1,400 m in elevationAmerica, it grows from near sea level to 1,400 m in elevation" (2)Zones 8-11 (3)Specimens reported up to 1900 m (Mexico) and as low as 150m

2.04

John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf>

Range.—Cardinal's guard is native from Mexico to Panama (Stevens, W.D., C. Ulloa-U., A. Pool, and O.M. Montiel (eds.). 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monographs in systematic botany Vol. 85, No. 1. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. 943 p.).

2.05

(1)John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf> (2)http://www.tytyga.com/perrenials/southern/pg37.htm

The species has naturalized and escaped in at least Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Cuba (Liogier, H.A. 1997. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. Vol. 5. Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR. 436 p.), and is widely grown as an ornamental in Florida (Watkins, J.V. 1975. Florida landscape plants, native and exotic. The University Presses of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 420 p.). (2) Voted Florida's plant of the year during the year 2000

3.01

(1)Staples, G.W., Imada, C.T. & Herbst, D.R. (2000) New Hawaiian Plant Records for 2000. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2000. BishopMuseum Occasional Papers 68: 3–18. p.4 (2)http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf (3)Wunderlin, R.P. 1998. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.

(1)"Fire spike was first reported as a naturalized species by Lorence et al. (1995) from the island of Kaua'i. The following collections document its widespread distribution on the Big Island. Elsewhere in these Records it is documented as naturalized on Maui (Oppenheimer & Bartlett, 2002). Grown throughout the state as an ornamental shrub, O. cuspidatum is likely to escape and become naturalized anywhere it is grown." (2)The species has naturalized and escaped in at least Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Cuba (Liogier, H.A. 1997.Most of the stands of cardinal’s guard in Puerto Rico have originated from abandoned gardens or errant pieces of stem or root that have been transported by streams or dumped in the woods with garden prunings. Once established, plants spread by root suckers. The stems also layer (root) readily when they become prostrate. (3)Florida: Rare escape from cultivation in disturbed hammocks

3.02

no evidence

3.03

no evidence

3.04

no evidence

3.05

no evidence

4.01

John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf>

no description of these traits

4.02

no evidence

4.03

no evidence

4.04

no evidence

4.05

no evidence

4.06

http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf

the plants are mostly free of pests and disease but may occasionally be attacked by mealy bugs

4.07

no evidence

4.08

no evidence

4.09

(1)John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf> (2)http://www.tytyga.com/perrenials/southern/pg37.htm (3)http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/98promotions/march/march.html

(1)Ecology.—Cardinal’s guard is moderately tolerant of shade and will bloom in full sun, broken sun, and moderate shade (author's observation, Blomber 2000). (2) Loves shade or full sun and never a shy performer (3)The Firespike is a plant which solves the problem of most landscaperswho have a shady area in which very few plants will grow, much less bloom. Firespike will not only grow in the shade but plants will provide a magnificent display of practically glow-in-the-dark red bloom spikes

4.1

(1)John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf> (2)http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/98promotions/march/march.html

(1)"Cardinal’s guard prospers on fertile and moderately fertile soils that are continually moist." (2)This plant can be grown in heavy clay soils

4.11

shrub

4.12

http://www.southerngardening.com/l&g/lg981105.htm

They spread out to form a small thicket, but are easily controlled.

5.01

terrestrial

5.02

Acanthaceae

5.03

no evidence

5.04

shrub

6.01

no evidence

6.02

John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf>

"Although the species is common in Puerto Rico, the plants produce few viable seeds. Capsules fall off before drying and liberating seeds. Fresh capsules collected in Puerto Rico weighed an average of 0.0095 + 0.0002 g/capsule. One hundred of these capsules were sown on moist potting mix and only a single seedling emerged." [very low viability]

6.03

no evidence

6.04

no evidence

6.05

(1)John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf> (2)www.houstonaudubon.org/hummingbirds.html

"It is also popular in gardens because it attracts butterflies and hummingbirds that feed on the nectar."; "Although the species is common in Puerto Rico, the plants produce few viable seeds. Capsules fall off before drying and liberating seeds. Fresh capsules collected in Puerto Rico weighed an average of 0.0095 + 0.0002 g/capsule. One hundred of these capsules were sown on moist potting mix and only a single seedling emerged." [Could the low viability in Puerto Rico (where the plant is exotic) relates to pollinator requirement?; Floral structure suggests specialist (hummingbird) pollinator] (2)humningbird

6.06

John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf>

"Once established, plants spread by root suckers. The stems also layer (root) readily whe they become prostrate."

6.07

grows about 2 feet the first season

7.01

John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf>

Cardinal’s guard is most common in disturbed areas , along streams and drains, and in extramoist places in secondary forests. Most of the stands of cardinal’s guard in Puerto Rico have originated from abandoned gardens or errant pieces of stem or root that have been transported by streams or dumped in the woods with garden prunings. Once established, plants spread by root suckers. The stems also layer (root) readily when they become prostrate.

7.02

John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf>

"It is used as an accent and background plant and sometimes employed to form hedges. It is also popular in gardens because it attracts butterflies and hummingbirds that feed on the nectar ."

7.03

no evidence

7.04

(1)John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf> (2)http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/acanthac.htm

(1)Capsules fall off before drying and liberating seeds. (2)Fruit elastically dehiscent [Acanthaceae]

7.05

no evidence

7.06

fruit a small capsule

7.07

no evidence

7.08

no evidence of ingestion

8.01

(1)John K. Francis, (Research Forester, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, P.O. Box 25000, Río Piedras, PR 00928-5000). Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees in DC.) Kuntze; cardinal's guard
Available at: <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf> (2)Whistler, W.A. 2000 Tropical Ornamentals. Timber Press, Portland.

(1)"Fruits are clavate capsules 1 to 2 cm long that contain flattened semiorbicular seeds (Liogier 1997)."; "Although the species is common in Puerto Rico, the plants produce few viable seeds. Capsules fall off before drying and liberating seeds. Fresh capsules collected in Puerto Rico weighed an average of 0.0095 + 0.0002 g/capsule. One hundred of these capsules were sown on moist potting mix and only a single seedling emerged." (2)Fruit infrequently formed in cultivation

8.02

no evidence

8.03

no evidence

8.04

http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/Odontonema%20cuspidatum.pdf

must be pruned frequently when used as hedges

8.05

no evidence