Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 5 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Flemingia fruticulosa Wall. ex Benth.; Hedysarum strobiliferum L.; Moghania strobilifera (L.) A. St.-Hil. ex Kuntze

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: qiu sui qian jin ba

English: luck plant, wild hops

French: sainfoin du bengale

Palauan: besungelaiei, pesungel a iei

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrub to 2 m tall; stipules lanceolate, 3-4 mm long, striate; petioles 1-2 cm long; leaflet 1, obovate to ovate, 9.5-15 cm long, 4-9 cm wide, acute apically, truncate to cuneate beneath, entire, revolute; inflorescence to ca 15 cm long; pedicels 2-3 mm long; flowers 1 or 2 per node, the bracts obovate to cordate, 1-2 cm long, 8-12 mm wide, papery, persistent, enclosing the flowers; calyx 4-5 mm long; petals creamy, light yellow, or pinkish to purple; banner orbicular, 5-6 mm long, 7-8 mm wide, slightly clawed; pods oblong, inflated, 6-14 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, dehiscent, the valves twisting; seeds 2, ovoid, 3 mm long, brown-black with red mottling."  (Welsh, 1998)

 "Habit a small shrub 1-1.5 m, leaves unifoliate, leaflets ovate to elliptic, gland-dotted abaxially; stipules striate; inflorescence paniculate, 10-20 cm long, peduncle zig-zag, branches strobiform, with whitish green flowers and pale green fruits enclosed by pale green, persistent bracts that turn a golden brown color upon drying" (Lorence et al., 1995; p. 37).

Habitat/ecology:  Abandoned pastures and other disturbed areas, often forming thickets. Invasive in French Polynesia. In New Caledonia, "rarement planté mais assez répandu en peuplements denses isolés en terrains défrichés" (MacKee, 1994; p. 84).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southern, eastern and southeastern Asia to the Philippines (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 7)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1991) (voucher ID: BISH 665044) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 7)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1991) (voucher ID: BISH 665047) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 111)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1948) (voucher ID: BISH 438055) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 93) "Mesic habitats"
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 8496 (PAP), K.R. Wood, S.P. Perlman & J.-P. Luce 6357 (PAP) Naturalisée, menace pour la biodiversité.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1997) (voucher ID: PTBG 27741) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) St. Hil. ex Ktze.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 41188) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence & R. Tahuaitu 11649 (PAP) Naturalisée, menace pour la biodiversité.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1992) (voucher ID: BISH 643293) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 93) "Mesic habitats"
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 10577 (PAP) Naturalisée, menace pour la biodiversité.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 10577 (PAP) Naturalisée. Menace pour la biodiversité.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1990) (voucher ID: BISH 642298) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 152) Voucher cited: Fosberg 62692
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 4693 (PAP) Naturalisée, menace pour la biodiversité.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 111)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 95) "Potential invader".
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 438050) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 438051) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1945) (voucher ID: BISH 438052) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 649427) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 649432) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 1000252) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 1000253) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1986) (voucher ID: PTBG 23795) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy W./Wagner, Warren L. (1995) (p. 37) East Maui. Vouchers cited: T. Flynn et al. 2591 (PTBG), T. Flynn et al. 2716 (BISH, BM, F. K, MEXU, MO, PTBG, RSA, US)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced	Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 139)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 100)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands	introduced invasive	Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe (1996) (p. 382) Assez répandue en peuplements denses isolés en terrains défrichés.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 84) Vouchers cited: de Touzalin s.n., J. Bernier 55 s.loc., MacMillan 5202, Mackee 13126, Mackee 31613, Mackee 31619, Mackee 31979, Pilecki in Mackee 35675, Mackee 42356
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1949) (voucher ID: BISH 10868) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1952) (voucher ID: BISH 545740) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1978) (voucher ID: BNM 1260) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) R. Br.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 111)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 13, 85)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (2010) (p. 29) Voucher cited: Lorence 8225 (PTBG)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 15) Possibly native.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1996) (voucher ID: BISH 649814) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1998) (voucher ID: PTBG 28066) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) R. Br.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 111)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 13, 80)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 428471) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1975) (voucher ID: BNM 10065) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) R. Br.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 111)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island	introduced	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 13, 80)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1950) (voucher ID: BISH 138048) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1950) (voucher ID: BISH 438049) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1950) (voucher ID: BISH 660704) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Aiton & Aiton f.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1968) (voucher ID: BNM 52) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera (L.) R. Br.
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago		Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 258) Common, particularly on dry soil; lacking in swampy places.
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. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	probably introduced invasive	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 317) In the settled areas, in open dry waste places, locally very abundant; probablyl introduced.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 9)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Lifuka and Foa Islands	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (pp. 6-7)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (pp. 6-7)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (pp. 6-7) Voucher: Flynn 6823 (PTBG, US, NY)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 246) Taxon name on voucher: Flemingia strobilifera
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (pp. 6-7)

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)	Australia (continental)	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) "Mountain slopes; 200-1600 m".
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indonesia Indonesia	West Papua Province (Indonesia) (western New Guinea Island) (formerly Irian Jaya)	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	uncertain if introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 43) Weed of uncertain origin
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) "Mountain slopes; 200-1600 m".
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced	Comité français de l'Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature en France (2013) Naturalisée, potentiellement envahissant.
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Comments:  This species and F. macrophylla show every indication of becoming invasive species on Pacific islands.

Invasive on Tahaa and Raiatea (Society Islands) and naturalized along roadsides on Nuku Hiva (Marquesas), French Polynesia (Jean-Yves Meyer, pers. com.). Naturalizing in Tonga (Space & Flynn, 2001). Naturalized specimens seen on Upolu, Samoa (Space & Flynn, 2002).

Also reported invasive in Jamaica

Control:  If you know of control methods for Flemingia strobilifera, please let us know.