Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae) Koster's curse, soap bush

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"'Shrubs 0.5-3 m tall; young branches rounded, hirsute. Leaves ovate to oblong-ovate, 5-16 cm long, 3-8 cm wide, 5-nerved, upper surface sparsely strigose, lower surface finely bristly, margins ciliate, subentire to crenulate-denticulate, apex acute to short-acuminate, base rounded to subcordate, petioles 0.5-3 cm long. Pedicels 0.5-1 mm long in fruit; hypanthium 3-3.5 mm long, moderately to sparsely finely bristly, usually with a mixture of gland-tipped and stellulate hairs; receptacle bearing a conspicuous ring of fimbriate scales surrounding style; calyx lobes broadly ovate to truncate in fruit, ca. 0.5 mm long, the linear external teeth projecting 2-4 mm; petals 8-11 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, glabrous; staminal filaments ca. 2.5 mm long; anthers 3.5-4.5 mm long, dorsal spur at base ca. 0.25 mm long. Berries 6-9 mm long. Seeds 0.5-0.75 mm long' (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 906)." (from PIER based on Wagner et al. 1999, accessed 10 May 2008) 

Species description or overview

Clidemia hirta information from PIER
Information on Clidemia hirta as relevant to Pacific Islands is provided by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER).

Taxonomy & nomenclature

ITIS nomenclature info for Clidemia hirta
Nomenclatural information about Clidemia hirta is provided by ITIS.

IPNI nomenclature info for Clidemia hirta
Nomenclatural information about Clidemia hirta is provided by The International Plant Names Index (IPNI).

Impacts

Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae): species information from GCW
Information on Clidemia hirta as relevant to Pacific Islands is provided by the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Control methods

Images

Smithsonian Flora of the Hawaiian Islands info for Clidemia hirta
This entry was automatically generated by the Paradox script SHF.SSL on 4/27/2006.

Clidemia hirta images from PIER
Images of Clidemia hirta provided by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER).

Distribution

Clidemia hirta as a weed in Hawaii 
Information about Clidemia hirta as a weed in Hawaii is presented by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (University of Hawai).

Books

Full-text articles

Other resources

Review and status of biological control of clidemia in Hawai'i
Nakahara, Larry M., Robert M. Burkhart, and George Y. Funasaki. 1992. Review and status of biological control of clidemia in Hawai'i. In Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawai'i: Management and research, edited by Charles P. Stone, Clifford W. Smith, and J. Timothy Tunison, 452-65. Honolulu: Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. ISBN: (unknown or N/A). ISSN: (unknown or N/A).

Distribution, status, phenology, rate of spread, and management of Clidemia in Hawai'i
Smith, Clifford W. 1992. Distribution, status, phenology, rate of spread, and management of Clidemia in Hawai'i. In Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawai'i: Management and research, edited by Charles P. Stone, Clifford W. Smith, and J. Timothy Tunison, 241-53. Honolulu: Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. ISBN: (unknown or N/A). ISSN: (unknown or N/A).

Colletotrichum gloeosporoides, a possible biological control agent for Clidemia hirta in Hawaiian forests
Trujillo, E.E., F.M. Latterell, and A.E. Rossi. 1986. Colletotrichum gloeosporoides, a possible biological control agent for Clidemia hirta in Hawaiian forests. Plant Disease 70:974-76. ISBN: (unknown or N/A). ISSN: (unknown or N/A).

Koster's curse (Clidemia hirta), a weed pest in Hawaiian forests
Wester, L.L. and H.B. Wood. 1977. Koster's curse (Clidemia hirta), a weed pest in Hawaiian forests. Environmental Conservation 4, no. 1:35-41. ISBN: (unknown or N/A). ISSN: (unknown or N/A).

Distribution and Spread of Alien Plants in Kipahulu Valley, Haleakala National Park, above 2,300 ft Elevation 
PT's bookmarks

Responses to light and water availability of four invasive Melastomataceae in Hawaii
"To understand life history traits of four successful invasive Melastomataceae, two shade-intolerant herbs (Arthrostema ciliatum and Tibouchina herbacea) and two shade-tolerant woody species (Clidemia hirta, a shrub, and Miconia calvescens, a tree) were subjected to three light levels and two watering regimes in a greenhouse".

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The template for this page was created on 15 March 2004 by EMS, and was last updated on 20 February 2006 by PT. The content of this page was last regenerated on (or after) 28 March 2008 by PT.