Pereskia aculeata Mill. Common names - Barbados gooseberry, West Indian gooseberry, Spanish gooseberry, lemon vine, sweet Mary, leaf cactus, blade apple, and gooseberry shrub. Synonym: Cactus pereskia L. Family - Cactaceae.

Answer

Score

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated? (If answer is 'no' then go to question 2.01)

n

0

1.02

Has the species become naturalized where grown?

1.03

Does the species have weedy races?

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”

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)

n

0

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

y

1

2.05

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

y

3.01

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

y

2

3.02

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

n

0

3.03

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

n

0

3.04

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

y

4

3.05

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

n

0

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y

1

4.02

Allelopathic

n

0

4.03

Parasitic

n

0

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

4.05

Toxic to animals

n

0

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

n

0

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

n

0

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

n

0

4.09

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

n

0

4.1

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

y

1

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y

1

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y

1

5.01

Aquatic

n

0

5.02

Grass

n

0

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

n

0

5.04

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

n

0

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

n

0

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y

1

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

n

-1

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

n

-1

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

n

0

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y

1

6.07

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

7.01

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

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y

1

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

n

-1

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

n

-1

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y

1

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

y

1

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

n

-1

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

y

1

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

n

-1

8.02

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

8.03

Well controlled by herbicides

n

1

8.04

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

y

1

8.05

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

Total score:

13

Notes

Reference

1.01

No evidence.

1.02

1.03

2.01

"Native:
SOUTHERN AMERICA
Mesoamerica: Panama
Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Guadeloupe; Haiti; Martinique; Montserrat; Puerto Rico; St. Vincent and Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Northern South America: French Guiana; Guyana; Suriname; Venezuela
Brazil: Brazil
Western South America: Colombia
Southern South America: Argentina; Paraguay"

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl

2.02

2.03

(1)"The Barbados gooseberry is tropical and suited only to low elevations. In greenhouses, the favorable temperature range is from 68º F (20º C) at night to 99º F (37.22º C) in daytime. Chilling causes the leaves to fall." (2)"USDA: 9b-11" (3)Hardiness:
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8° C (25° F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1° C (30° F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7° C (35° F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5° C (40° F) [<5 USDA zones].

(1)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html#Description (2)http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Pereskia_aculeata.html

2.04

"Native:
SOUTHERN AMERICA
Mesoamerica: Panama
Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Guadeloupe; Haiti; Martinique; Montserrat; Puerto Rico; St. Vincent and Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Northern South America: French Guiana; Guyana; Suriname; Venezuela
Brazil: Brazil
Western South America: Colombia
Southern South America: Argentina; Paraguay"

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl

2.05

"also cultivated, naturalized in s. Africa, s. United States, & Mexico "

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl

3.01

(1)"also cultivated, naturalized in s. Africa, s. United States, & Mexico " (2)"It is seldom found truly wild but is frequently grown as an ornamental or occasionally for its fruits in the American tropics, Bermuda, California, Hawaii, Israel, the Philippines, India and Australia. In many areas it has escaped from cultivation and become thoroughly naturalized." (3) Naturalized in Africa

(1)http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl (2)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html#Description (3)http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555%2FAL.AP.FLORA.FZ10447

3.02

No evidence

3.03

No evidence

3.04

(1)"Gardeners had to give up the plant in South Africa in 1979 when it was banned as an illegal weed because it had been invading and overwhelming natural vegetation." (2)"Leaf cactus is on the 'Alert List for Environmental Weeds', a list of 28 non-native plants that threaten biodiversity and cause environmental damage. ... It is listed as a noxious weed in South Africa with forestry and conservation areas, due to its formation of dense infestations. In Australia the weed has been reported growing amongst riparian vegetation along the banks of rivers in Queensland and New South Wales. The plant has a tendency to form large impenetrable clumps, and its extreme thorniness makes control of large infestations difficult." (3)Listed under 'Declared Weeds and Invaders: Category 1 plants' of South Africa. (4)" Completely destroys patches of forest by growing up into the canopy and smothering the trees." (5)"P.aculeata has become a problem in forestry and conservation areas in South Africa (Natal, Kwazulu and the eastern Cape). It was declared noxious in South Africa in 1979 (Campbell 1988) and was the subject of biological control research (Moran and Zimmermann 1991)."

(2)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html#Description (3)http://www.plantzafrica.com/miscell/aliens2.htm (4)http://www.geocities.com/wessaaliens/species/pereskia.htm (5)http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/weeds-potential/results-pereskia.html

3.05

No evidence

4.01

(1)"Spines on the trunk are long, slender, in groups; those on the branches are short, recurved, usually in pairs, rarely solitary or in 3's, in the leaf axils. "

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html#Description

4.02

No evidence

4.03

No evidence

4.04

"The fruits are generally stewed or preserved with sugar, or made into jam. Young shoots and leaves are cooked and eaten as greens. In rural Brazil, they are important as food for humans and livestock." [BUT spines probably protect most of the plant from grazing animals]

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html#Description

4.05

Probably not - "The fruits are generally stewed or preserved with sugar, or made into jam. Young shoots and leaves are cooked and eaten as greens. In rural Brazil, they are important as food for humans and livestock."

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html#Description

4.06

(1)The following 4 fungi species were found to be associated with P. aculeata - Aecidium peireskeae: Bolivia, Botryodiplodia theobromae: India, Phoma macrostoma: India, Uromyces pereskiae: Argentina. [No evidence that the above are recognized economic pests].

http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/index.cfm

4.07

Probably not - "The fruits are generally stewed or preserved with sugar, or made into jam. Young shoots and leaves are cooked and eaten as greens. In rural Brazil, they are important as food for humans and livestock."

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html#Description

4.08

grows in wet (riparian) habitats.; succulent habit

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/weeds/weeds-alert/p-aculeata.html

4.09

(1)"The Barbados gooseberry requires full sun." (2)"Heat Tolerance: Light shade in Phoenix in summer. Sun Exposure: Morning sun or bright shade." (3)"Several species will take some frost. Most species will burn out in the Arizona sun if they don't have afternoon shade in summer." (4)Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade, Light Shade (5)"It prefers light shade environments, as would be experienced under a canopy."

(1)http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/indoor/2004fa_tropical.html (2)http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Pereskia_aculeata.html (3)http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Pereskia.html (4)http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/53185/index.html (5)http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/weeds/weeds-alert/pubs/p-aculeata.pdf

4.1

"Leaf cactus adapts to a wide variety of soil types, but seems to prefer well-drained, high-nutrient soils. It dislikes too much water."

http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf

4.11

(1)"The plant is an erect woody shrub when young, becoming, with age, scrambling or climbing and vinelike, with branches up to 33 ft (10 m) long that may shroud a large tree. " (2)"Growth Habits: Climbing shrub." (3)"The leaf cactus is a perennial, spiky, climbing shrub (liana) that attaches itself to trees in a vine-like manner, growing up to 12 m high."

(1)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html#Description (2)http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Pereskia_aculeata.html (3)http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf

4.12

(1)"It is listed as a noxious weed in South Africa with forestry and conservation areas, due to its formation of dense infestations. In Australia the weed has been reported growing amongst riparian vegetation along the banks of rivers in Queensland and New South Wales. The plant has a tendency to form large impenetrable clumps, and its extreme thorniness makes control of large infestations difficult. ... Once in is established in the soil, the plant seeks out the trunk of the tree and gradually climbs up to form dense thickets in the branches and canopy." (2) Completely destroys patches of forest by growing up into the canopy and smothering the trees. (3)"The plant has a tendency to form large, impenetrable clumps."

(1)http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf (2)http://www.geocities.com/wessaaliens/species/pereskia.htm (3)http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/weeds-potential/results-pereskia.html

5.01

5.02

5.03

No evidence

5.04

6.01

The species reproduces successfully in Brazil.

Pedroni, Fernando; Sanchez, Maryland. Seed dispersal of Pereskia aculeata Muller (Cactaceae) in a forest fragment in southeast Brazil

6.02

(1)"The plant is easily grown from seeds or cuttings of half-ripe wood." (2)Germinates from June to October in Australia.

(1)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html#Description (2)http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf

6.03

"No natural hybrids of Perekia have been reported. .Under experimental conditions, however, hybridization is possible between some closely related taxa. Others seem to be incompatible in so far as evidence from the few cross-pollination experiments between flowering specimens available at the Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden."

Leuenberger, B E. 1986. Pereskia (Cactaceae). Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden. 41: 1-141.

6.04

"All Pereskia species are basically self-sterile although Ross (1981) reported that self pollination produces seed in P. diaz-romeroana, a species observed by the author to occassionally set fruit without cross pollination. In other species self pollination rarely yields fruit. However, in these cases the fruits are then often underdeveloped, seedless or few-seeded."

Leuenberger, B E. 1986. Pereskia (Cactaceae). Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden. 41: 1-141.

6.05

"Rowley (1980) summarized the pollination syndromes in cactus flowers with reference to both earlier (Porsch, 1938- 1939) and recent (Grant & grant, 1979) works. Floral syndromes in Pereskia, with two exceptions, include diurnal opening time, various colors, scent faint or none, pollen abundant and freely exposed, nectar freely exposed or absent, sze various, profile flat. These characters suggest unselective pollination, but unfortunately direct observations are scarce. Porsch (1938, pp36, 42) mentioned P. aculeata and p. grandiflora as unselective and P. lychnidiflora (as P. nicoyana) as having bee flowers. The latter observation is confirmed by the author, based on sightings in the field in Guatemala in 1978, and also documented by a photograph."

Leuenberger, B E. 1986. Pereskia (Cactaceae). Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden. 41: 1-141.

6.06

(1)"It reproduces from both cuttings or broken stem fragments and seed. … Dumping the plant in roadside vegetation is another likely cause of spread. Where leaf cactus is near creek and other water bodies, pieces of the plant may be washed downstream a considerable distance to establish new populations" (2)Reproduction is via broken stem fragments and seeds.

(1)http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf (2)http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/weeds-potential/results-pereskia.html

6.07

7.01

"Clippings" from garden refuse cause the plant to "escape".  Stems and detached leaves stay alive and can form roots months after removal from the parent plant.

http://www.geocities.com/wessaaliens/species/pereskia.htm

7.02

"Man is the main vector of spread, since the plant has been cultivated as a hedge plant and the fruit used to produce jam from as early as 1881 in South Africa."

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/weeds-potential/results-pereskia.html

7.03

Probably not - no evidence that the species grows near seed crops.

7.04

Bird dispersed.

http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf

7.05

"Where leaf cactus is near creek and other water bodies, pieces of the plant may be washed downstream a considerable distance to establish new populations"

http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf

7.06

"Leaf cactus spreads mainly by birds eating the fruit (often from garden plants) and dropping them under the tree in which they perch."

http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf

7.07

No evidence that the propagules have any means of attachment.

7.08

(1)"Leaf cactus spreads mainly by birds eating the fruit (often from garden plants) and dropping them under the tree in which they perch." (2)" … The seeds were not affected by light intensity; 75% germinated at both light and darkness conditions (n = 100). Seeds from faeces of the monkeys germinated better than the others from untouched fruits: 100% from faeces of the brown howler monkey (n = 50) and 90% from the capuchin monkey (n = 50). Our results indicate that Monkeys are the main seed dispersers of P. aculeata at the Santa Genebra Reserve."

(1)http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf (2)http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Pereskia.html

8.01

(1)"The seeds are dark brown, flattened 4 to 5 mm in diameter." (2) "The fruit is a yellow to orange berry 2 cm in diameter, edible, containing numerous small seeds." (3)"The seeds of Pereskia are medium-sized to fairly large compared to those of other genera of Cactaceae. Seed size is not related to fruit size and varies between a minimum length of 1.8 mm in P. weberiana and a maximum of 7.5 mm in P. bleo. ... Seed number alos varies greately within the genus. One two to five seeds are normally observed in fruits of P. aculeata, which are also distinctive because they are flattened to slightly concave on one side, apparently the side adjoining the columella in fruit. [Probably not - relatively large seeds].

(1)http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Pereskia_aculeata.html (2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados_gooseberry (3) Leuenberger, B E. 1986. Pereskia (Cactaceae). Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden. 41: 1-141.

8.02

8.03

(1)"Infestations in some KwaZulu-Natal forests are embedded in the canopy and very difficult to remove. Trials using trunk absorption of a concentrated herbicide over a few days were somewhat successful in killing the plant in the canopy, where it could not be reached or removed efficiently by hand. Cutting the cactus off at the base of the main trunk and then applying herbicide mixed with diesel to the stump has been successful. It is also possible to pull up or dig out the root mass." (2)"Extremely difficult to kill/eradicate, so potentially a most serious threat to coastal forests of KwaZulu-Natal! Chemical: Try Stalk Immersion: Garlon® 4 50ml/10l water and treat Cut Stump with Garlon® 4 200ml/10l diesel. Foliar: try Garlon® 4 50ml/10l water - only has "knock-down" effect. Remove and burn, on site, all leaves, stem pieces etc. Repeat." (3)"The plant has a tendency to form large, impenetrable clumps. Its extreme thorniness could make control of large infestations difficult."

(1)http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_leaf_cactus.pdf (2)http://www.geocities.com/wessaaliens/species/pereskia.htm (3)http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/weeds-potential/results-pereskia.html

8.04

"Clippings" from garden refuse cause the plant to "escape".  Stems and detached leaves stay alive and can form roots months after removal from the parent plant.

http://www.geocities.com/wessaaliens/species/pereskia.htm

8.05

(1)"P.aculeata has become a problem in forestry and conservation areas in South Africa (Natal, Kwazulu and the eastern Cape). It was declared noxious in South Africa in 1979 (Campbell 1988) and was the subject of biological control research (Moran and Zimmermann 1991)." (2)"Only one insect species has been released to assist in the biological control of pereskia: the leaf-feeding flea-beetle, Phenrica guérini. It is inflicting considerable damage to pereskia plants at Port Alfred, but although the beetle was also released widely in KwaZulu-Natal, it has apparently not become established there. A promising, leaf-mining moth, Epipagis cambogialis, had to be discarded due to insufficient host-specificity. A review on this biocontrol project was published in 1999. Biocontrol agents can be obtained from the regional Working for Water Biocontrol Implementation Officer." (3)"Due to its spiny nature and ability to grow in inaccessible places, Pereskia is difficult to control chemically or mechanically, which makes it an ideal candidate for biological control (http://www.ru.ac.za/academic/departments/zooento/Lin/lin.html). Implementation of biological control program by PPRI researchers against Barbados gooseberry, led in 1991 to the release of the leaf-feeding flea beetle Phenrica guerini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Insects are inflicting considerable damage to pereskia plants at Port Alfred (Eastern Cape Province), but although the beetle was also released widely in KwaZulu-Natal Province, it has apparently not become established there (http://www.arc.agric.za/institutes/ppri/main/divisions/weedsdiv/pereskia.htm). The need of additional biocontrol agents against this weed, have led PPRI researchers to initiate a cooperative research project with the SABCL, to discover and study natural enemies of this weed in Argentina."

(1)http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/weeds-potential/results-pereskia.html (2)http://www.arc.agric.za/home.asp?PID=376&ToolID=63&ItemID=3009 (3)http://www.usda-sabcl.org/projects/Emergentweeds.htm