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

Zizyphus mauritiana (Chinee apple, chonky apple,Indian jujube, Ziziphus)

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

1

2.02

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

1

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

y

3.05

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

n=0

n

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y=1, n=0

y

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

n

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

n

4.1

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

y=1, n=0

y

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y=1, n=0

n

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y=1, n=0

y

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

y

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

y=1, n=-1

n

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

y=-1, n=0

n

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

3

7.01

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

y=1, n=-1

n

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

y

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

y

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

y

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

n

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:

9

Notes

Source

1.01

'A number of cultivated and grafted varieties of Z. mauritiana have been developed for the production of fruit.' But I did not find any evidence that these cultivars occur naturally.

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

1.02

'…grows wild in tropical and subtropical regions of India in western Rajasthan. It grows in Australia, West Indies, tropical America and Africa etc.' 2) Invades dry woodlands in Australia 3)In Barbados,
Jamaica and Puerto Rico the tree is naturalized and forms thickets in uncultivated areas.

Puri, D. N. & Gargya, G. R.1995. Surya International publishers. Dehradun. India. 2)2)Grice 1998. Ecology in the management of Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana). Weed-Science.46 (4) 467-474. 3)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/indian_jujube.html

1.03

Did not find evidence that the species has weedy cultivars, varieties or subspecies.

2.01

'A plant of dry tropical and subtropical climates, hardy and capable of growing under varying climates….' Requires arid environment?

Gupta, R. K. 1993. Multipurpose trees for agroforestry and wasteland utilisation. Oxford & IBH publishsing Co ltd. Bombay.

2.02

Requires arid environment (see 2.03)?

2.03

It can tolerate a wide range of temperatures from -5 to 49 C and can grow from 0 to 1500 m altitude. 2)In high humidity conditions disease and pest problems increase especially of powdery mildew which is a serious disease. USDA Hardiness zone 6-9

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. 2)http://www.indiaagronet.com/indiaagronet/horticulture/CONTENTS/ber.htm

2.04

It is native of south and central Asia and is found throughout the arid and semi arid tracts. Also introduced to Africa, Medditerranean and North America.

Hocking, D. 1993. Trees for drylands. Oxford & IBH publishing Co pvt ltd. New Delhi.

2.05

Has been introduced in several countries.

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

3.01

Australia (see 1.02)

3.02

No evidence of it being a garden weed.

3.03

No evidence of it being an agricultural weed.

3.04

(1)A moderate invader of dry habitats in Fiji (2)Considered a weed of abondoned pastures in Australia.(Commonly called chinese apple). (3)Environmental weed of unknown importance [Queensland] (4)Now, Chinee Apple is the dominant vegetation of many of those old gold mining centres such as Charters Towers and occurs as far north as the Torres Strait. They are fast growing, fire and chain-saw resistant, form pure mono-cultured stands and can reproduce rapidly. A single tree can produce 8-10,000 seeds a year. These seeds can be spread by floods, cattle or by wildlife such as Agile Wallabies. Chinee Apple is declared P3 in Queensland, which means you have to reduce their numbers. This can be an extremely expensive process but it is a job that many people are now starting to confront in the North Queensland area.

(1)http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:8E_ED1B2pZoJ:hear.org/pier/pdf/
invasive_species_technical_review_and_strategy.pdf+Zizyphus+mauritiana+invasive&hl=en (2)Swarbrick, J. T. 1982. The Austrailan weed control handbook. Plant Press. Toowoomba. Australia (3)Randall, R 2001 Garden thugs, a national list of invasive and potentially invasive garden plants. Plant Protection Quarterly 16:138-171. (4)http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL16/dec99-2g.html

3.05

Did not any evidence on a congeneric weed.

4.01

Z. mauritiana is a small to medium-size single-stemmed spiny shrub or tree which is

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

4.02

Did not find any evidence on allelopathy.

4.03

Did not find any evidence on it being parasitic.

4.04

' The leaves are considered good fodder for cattle and goats.'

Gupta, R. K. 1993. Multipurpose trees for agroforestry and wasteland utilisation. Oxford & IBH publishsing Co ltd. Bombay.

4.05

Did not find any evidence of it being toxic to animals.

4.06

Monosteria minulata (parts affected: leaves) Hemiptera
Leptocentrus sp. (leaves & branches)Hemiptera
Tricentrus sp. (leaves & branches)Hemiptera
Ptyelus sp. (branches)Hemiptera
Machaerota sp. (branches)Hemiptera
Macropulvinaria cf maxima (whole tree)Hemiptera
Nipaecoccus virdis (whole tree)Hemiptera
Carpomya vesuviana Costa (fruits)Diptera Species of Carpomya breed in species of Cucurbitaceae (Bryonia, Cucumis, Citrullus, and Ecballium spp.), Rosaceae (Rosa spp.), and Rhamnaceae (Ziziphus spp.). The larvae feed in the fruit. http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/diptera/tephriti/Carpomya/Carpomya.htm] But Carpomya vesuviana does not seem to be a serious concern(http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/diptera/tephriti/Carpomya/vesuvian.htm)
Lycaenids sp. (leaves)Lepidoptera
Achaea janata Linnaeus (leaves)Lepidoptera [This caterpillar feeds on many different species of plants. castor bean and croton are preferred hosts. Occasional hosts include banana, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, crown of thorns, Ficus, macadamia, mustard, poinse

Harsh N. Vyas [Pest complex of Zizyphus mauritiana Lamark]. Crop Res. 11 (2) : 216-218 (1996).

4.07

The fruits can be eaten raw. Bark is sometimes used for tannin. Did not find any evidence of it being toxic to humans.

Gupta, R. K. 1993. Multipurpose trees for agroforestry and wasteland utilisation. Oxford & IBH publishsing Co ltd. Bombay.

4.08

'Fire and hacking by man are other features that restriting natural seedling regereration which is scanty.

Gupta, R. K. 1993. Multipurpose trees for agroforestry and wasteland utilisation. Oxford & IBH publishsing Co ltd. Bombay.

4.09

It is a light demander and grows best on open soils.

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

4.1

'It can be grown on a wide range of soil types.' Ber plant grows on a wide variety of soils ranging from shallow to deep and from gravelly and sandy to clayey.

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

4.11

The species is a spiny tree and not a vine. Did not find evidense of it having a smothering habit.

4.12

In Barbados, Jamaica and Puerto Rico the tree is naturalized and forms thickets in uncultivated areas.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/indian_jujube.html

5.01

5.02

5.03

No evidence that the species fixes nitrogen.

5.04

6.01

Did not find any evidence of reproductive failure in the native region.

6.02

No evidence that it does not produce viable seeds.

Rama Devi, k., J. B. Atluri & C. S. Reddi. 1989. Pollination ecology of Zizyphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae). Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences (Plant Sciences). Vol 99 No 3. Pg 223- 239.

6.03

'There is probably a greater difference between the wild type of Z. mauritiana and its cultivated varieties than there is betweeen wild Z. mauritiana and Z. nummularia and hybridization may occur.'

Hocking, D. 1993. Trees for drylands. Oxford & IBH publishing Co pvt ltd. New Delhi.

6.04

The flowers are bisexual with the sexes being separated in time. It is geared to achieve cross pollination through a combination of self incompatibility (in the sense that the flowers are not autogamous) and dichogamy with strong protandry. The cross section between and early types yielded more fruit than the than the intratype ones. Apomixis and autogamy are absent.

Rama Devi, k., J. B. Atluri & C. S. Reddi. 1989. Pollination ecology of Zizyphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae). Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences (Plant Sciences). Vol 99 No 3. Pg 223- 239.

6.05

It is pollinated by bees, wasps and flies.

Rama Devi, k., J. B. Atluri & C. S. Reddi. 1989. Pollination ecology of Zizyphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae). Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences (Plant Sciences). Vol 99 No 3. Pg 223- 239.

6.06

'Both natural and artificial propagation can be carried out by seed, coppice, root suckers, cuttings, air-layering, budding and pollarding.'

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

6.07

bears fruits within 2-3 years

http://chemsrv0.pph.univie.ac.at/ska/ziplant.htm

7.01

Although the plant produces spines the propagules do not have any mechanism of attachment and hence are less likely to be introduced unintentionally.

7.02

The fruits are edible and hence the seeds are likely to be introduced intentionanlly by people.

Gupta, R. K. 1993. Multipurpose trees for agroforestry and wasteland utilisation. Oxford & IBH publishsing Co ltd. Bombay.

7.03

Fruit is used for jams and pies and discarded

http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL16/dec99-2g.html

7.04

7.05

7.06

The seeds are spread by birds and rodents feeding on fruits … '

Gupta, R. K. 1993. Multipurpose trees for agroforestry and wasteland utilisation. Oxford & IBH publishsing Co ltd. Bombay.

7.07

The fruits nor seeds have a mechanism of attachment and hence are not likely to be dispersed by animals externally.

7.08

The seeds are spread by birds and rodents feeding on fruits … ' 2)Propagules pass intact through the digestive tract of cattle, feral pigs and wallabies and contain viable seeds that germinate more readily than seed in fresh intact fruits.

Gupta, R. K. 1993. Multipurpose trees for agroforestry and wasteland utilisation. Oxford & IBH publishsing Co ltd. Bombay. 2) Grice-A-C. 1996. Seed production, dispersal and germination in Cryptostegia grandiflora and Ziziphus mauritiana, two invasive shrubs in tropical woodlands of northern Australia. Australian-Journal-of-Ecology. 21 (3) 324-331.

8.01

'It bears heavily, producing thousands of fruits per plant in a year …' 2) The fruit is a drupe that contains a single seed (sometimes two) enclosed in a woody endocarp.

Gupta, R. K. 1993. Multipurpose trees for agroforestry and wasteland utilisation. Oxford & IBH publishsing Co ltd. Bombay. 2) Grice-A-C. 1996. Seed production, dispersal and germination in Cryptostegia grandiflora and Ziziphus mauritiana, two invasive shrubs in tropical woodlands of northern Australia. Australian-Journal-of-Ecology. 21 (3) 324-331.

8.02

About 50 -70% of the seeds collected from the ground (fallen seeds) are non-viable. 2)Less than 10% of seeds of Z. mauritiana remain viable after burial in the soil for 12 months.

Gupta, R. K. 1993. Multipurpose trees for agroforestry and wasteland utilisation. Oxford & IBH publishsing Co ltd. Bombay. 2)2)Grice 1998. Ecology in the management of Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana). Weed-Science.46 (4) 467-474

8.03

No evidence that the species is being controlled for with herbicides.

8.04

'Z. mauritiana recovers rapidly from any kind of injury, including fire, and thrives in grassy tracts which are burnt annually (Troup, 1921). It produces root suckers freely, coppices well and its roots have mycorrhizas (Nishi et al., 1996). ' 2) The species has a capacity to sprout following topkill due to fire or mechanical treatment.Most plants of Z. mauritiana resprouted vigorously within three months of the fire

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. 2)Grice 1998. Ecology in the management of Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana). Weed-Science.46 (4) 467-474.

8.05

No evidence of effective enemies present.