Triplaris americana L., Polygonaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: ant tree, triplaris

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees (5-) 10-20 (-30) m tall, trunks to 30 cm in diameter. Bark mottled grey, smooth; twigs light brown to brown, striate, glabrous or occasionally pilose-tomentose. Ocreae 10-12 cm long, appressedly golden-pilose especially apically. Petioles 10-25 (-40) x 4-8 mm, rather stout, canaliculate, glabrous or brownish-puberulous to pilose beneath; leaf blades ovate to oblong, 2-2.5 times as long as broad, (15-) 25-35 (-40) x (7-) 10-16 (-20) cm, apically abruptly acuminate, basally rounded to acute or slightly attenuate, glabrous above, beneath glabrous to brownish-tomentose along the mid-vein and lateral veins, 20-30 pairs of lateral veins. Axes of inflorescences densely greyish-yellow velutinous with hairs up to 3 mm long, individual branches up to 35 cm long. Staminate inflorescences: bracts inconspicuous; bracteoles 3 mm long, densely plilose outside, glabrous inside; perianth 2-2.5 mm long, basally connate for 0.5 mm; anthers 0.5-0.75 mm long. Pistillate inflorescences: bracts 1.5 mm long, acute, appressedly pilose; bracteoles 3-6 (-9) mm long, appressedly pilose to velutinous outside, glabrous inside. Pedicels at fruiting stage 2-4 (-6) mm long, tomentose; perianth at fruiting stage (2.5-) 3.0-4.0 (-5.0) cm long, the oblong-urceolate tubes (6-) 8-12 (-15) x 4-9 mm, outside and inside softly patent pilose; wings 2-2.5 times the length of tubes, 20-35 x 4-9 mm, oblong to oblanceolate, apically rounded, sparsely and appressedly puberulous; inner perianth segments (4-) 6-8 (-10) x (0.5-) 1-2 (-6) mm, narrowly ovate to lanceolate or obovate, somewhat chartaceous with distinct veins, occasionally with sparse whitish, appressed hairs, not adnate to the calyx tube. Achenes 6-10 x 4-6 mm, slightly trigonous to terete basally, medially more or less prominently sulcate, inner perianth segments fitting in the sulci, olivaceous to brown, lustrous, glabrous, without beak; styles 3-4 mm long" (Brandbyge, 1989; pp. 50-51).

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southern Panama to southeastern Brazil (Brandbyge, 1989; pp. 50-51).

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 cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher cited: Ooka 20403 (BISH 63782)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher cited: Neal s.n. (BISH 63783)

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 abo. intro.	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 88) Cultivated only

Comments:  A declared noxious weed in South Africa.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Triplaris americana, please let us know.