Medinilla cumingii Naudin, Melastomataceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 6 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Medinilla cummingii Naudin, spelling variant

Common name(s): [more details]

English: medinilla

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Scandent epiphytic glabrous shrub, 1-2 (-3) m high.  Branches terete to subquadrangular, not winged, 4-5 cm in diameter at base; nodes setose, the bristles coarse, yellowish-brown, persistent.  Leaves ternate or quaternate, occasionally opposite near the base, shortly petiolate; petioles stout, 5 mm long or less; blades coriaceous, elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 15-22 (-26) cm long, 8-10 (-14) cm wide; apices acute to shortly acuminate; bases shortly attenuate, 5- to 7-plinerved; nerves faintly distinct adaxially, absent abaxially; transverse veins faintly visible on both surfaces.  Inflorescences terminal or axillary, many-flowered, pendant panicles, up to 25 cm long; peduncles 8-10 cm long; the branches in whorls of 4; bracts elliptic-ovate, acuminate at tip, 15-20 (-30) mm long, 5-10 mm wide, persistent; bracteoles minute, subulate, 1 mm long, persistent; pedicels slender, 4-5 mm long.  Flowers 4-merous.  Hypanthia campanulate, 4 mm long, 3 mm wide, pink or purple, denticulate.  Petals obliquely ovate, 7 mm long, 5 mm wide, pink.  Stamens equal; filaments flattened, 4 mm long; anthers dark pink, curved, 5 mm long.  Fruits subglobose, 5-7 mm in diameter, pink to purplish to bluish-black when ripe; stalks terete, 5-7 mm long" (Regalado, 1995).

"Shrub to 8' tall, with square stems, opposite 6-15" leathery leaves lacking stalks, 1/2" bracts below the flower clusters, 1" pink flowers, and 1/4" purple-black fruits with a white tip" (Hawaii's Most Invasive Horticultural Plants).

Habitat/ecology:  Moist and wet forests at low elevations (Hawaii's Most Invasive Horticultural Plants). In the Philippines, "in mossy forest at 700-1000 m altitude" (Regalado, 1995).

Propagation:  "The small dark fruit is eaten by birds, containing many dozens of small seed per fruit. Dispersal capabilities are probably comparable to Miconia [calvescens] and 100,000 of seeds are produced per flowering event." (O‘ahu Invasive Species Committee)

Native range:  Philippines (Luzon) (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	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2010) (p. 42) Voucher cited: K. Bio, J. Parker & R. McGuire BIED8 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2004) (p. 13) East Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H60205 (BISH, PTBG) Mostly epiphytic (to 6 m high) on mossy, alien tree species.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Daehler, Curtis C./Baker, Raymond F. (2006) (p. 15) Vouchers cited: C. Daehler 1309 (HAW), Spence 392 (HLA)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2010) (pp. 11-12) Voucher cited: C. Sousa & J. Fujikawa 20080414 (BISH)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 196) In primary forests at low or medium altitudes.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 59) Cultivated only

Comments:  Listed on some web sites as Medinilla cummingii.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Medinilla cumingii, please let us know.