Liriope spicata (Thunberg) Loureiro, Asparagaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7.5 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: shan mai dong

English: creeping lilyturf, creeping liriope

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Roots usually with fusiform, fleshy, tuberous part near tip. Stolons creeping, slender. Leaves glaucous abaxially, narrowly linear, 25-60 cm x 4-8 mm, distinctly 5-veined abaxially, base surrounded by many brownish sheaths, margin serrulate. Scape 25-65 cm. Inflorescence 6-15(-20) cm, many flowered; bracts lanceolate, basal one 5-6 mm. Flowers in clusters of (2 or)3-5; pedicel ca. 4 mm, articulate distally. Tepals purplish or bluish, suboblong, 4-5 x 2-2.5 mm. Filaments ca. 2 mm; anthers ca. 2 mm. Style ca. 2 mm; stigma as wide as style. Seeds subglobose, ca. 5 mm in diameter"  (Flora of China online).

"Grasslike herb; rootstocks jointed, shallow-growing, small tubers sometimes present.  Leaves tufted, flexuous, to 17 inches long, 0.25 inches wide.  Inflorescence usually shorter than leaves, scape slender; bracts short, papery.  Flowers 20-36, sessile, in loose, open spike of 5-9 whorls, each with 2-4 flowers, corollas white to pale purple" (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 690).

Habitat/ecology:  "Forests, grassy slopes, hillsides, moist places; near sea level to 1800 m"  (Flora of China online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  China, Korea and Japan (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 690). Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Japan; also cultivated (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 690)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Forests, grassy slopes, hillsides, moist places; near sea level to 1800 m. Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.
China China	Hong Kong	native cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 361) Wild or cultivated as an ornamental.
Japan Japan	Japan	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Forests, grassy slopes, hillsides, moist places; near sea level to 1800 m.
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Liriope spicata, please let us know.