Malpighia glabra L. Family - Malpighiaceae. Common Names(s) - Wild crapemyrtle, Escobillo. Synonym(s) - M. punicifolia Linnaeus.

Answer

Score

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated?

y=-3, n=0

n

0

1.02

Has the species become naturalized where grown?

y=1, n=-1

1.03

Does the species have weedy races?

y=-1, n=-1

2.01

Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) – If island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute “wet tropical” for “tropical or subtropical”

See Append 2

2

2.02

Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2

2

2.03

Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility)

y=1, n=0

y

1

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

y=1, n=0

y

1

2.05

Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range?

y=-2, ?=-1, n=0

y

-2

3.01

Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05

n

3.02

Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

0

3.03

Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

0

3.04

Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

0

3.05

Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.02

Allelopathic

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.03

Parasitic

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

4.05

Toxic to animals

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

y=1, n=0

y

1

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.09

Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.10

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island)

y=1, n=0

y

1

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y=1, n=0

5.01

Aquatic

y=5, n=0

n

0

5.02

Grass

y=1, n=0

n

0

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

y=1, n=0

n

0

5.04

Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers)

y=1, n=0

n

0

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

y=1, n=0

n

0

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y=1, n=-1

y

1

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

y=1, n=-1

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

y=-1, n=0

n

0

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

6.07

Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1

See left

4

-1

7.01

Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas)

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y=1, n=-1

y

1

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

y=1, n=-1

y

1

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

y=1, n=-1

y

1

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

8.02

Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr)

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

8.03

Well controlled by herbicides

y=-1, n=1

8.04

Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire

y=1, n=-1

y

1

8.05

Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)

y=-1, n=1

y

-1

Total score:

-5

Notes

Source

1.01

(1)No evidence

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

1.02

1.03

2.01

(1)Escobilloa is native from southern Texas through Mexico, the Greater Antilles, and Central America to northwestern South America.

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

2.02

(1)Escobilloa is native from southern Texas through Mexico, the Greater Antilles, and Central America to northwestern South America.

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

2.03

Tropical species with elevational range >1000 m (1)typically not cold hardy north of Austin, Texas. (2)Zone 9; can be grown in central and south Florida but needs a protected location in central Florida. (3)Hardiness: USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F) (4)Malpighia glabra grows in a wide variety of habitats from wet ravines or river banks to road sides, lowland moist forest, and dry limestone, rocky hillsides; from 0-1,600 m elevation, from coastal regions to the highlands of Guatemala.

(1)Mielke, J. 1993. Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes. University of Texas Press, Austin. (2)Dehgan, B. 1998. Landscape Plants for Subtropical Climates. University Press of Florida. Gainesville, FL. (3)http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57614/ [Accessed 17 Sep 2008] (4)Woodson, Jr., R.E., R. W. Schery, J. Cuatrecasas, T. B. Croat and J. Vivaldi. 1980. Flora of Panama. Part VI. Family 93. Malpighiaceae. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 67(4): 851-945.

2.04

(1)Escobilloa is native from southern Texas through Mexico, the Greater Antilles, and Central America to northwestern South America.

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

2.05

(1)In the tropics and subtropics cultivated (e.g. Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Venezuela, Surinam, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru, Canary Isl., Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Zanzibar, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Java, Hawaii, Australia).

(1)Hanelt, P., R. Büttner, R. Mansfeld and R. Kilian. 2001. Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops. Springer-Verlag. Berlin.

3.01

Questionable whether Malpghia glabra js native to or naturalized on certain Caribbean Islands [Refs. 1 & 3]. Recent literature does not record M. glabra as naturalized or invasive [Refs. 2, 4, 5] (1)The Barbados cherry is native to the Lesser Antilles from St. Croix to Trinidad, also Curacao and Margarita and neighboring northern South America as far south as Brazil. It has become naturalized in Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico after cultivation, and is commonly grown in dooryards in the Bahamas and Bermuda, and to some extent in Central and South America. (2)Only Malpighia infestissima listed in Puerto Rico. [contradicts first reference] (3)Ledin stated that the West Indian cherry has been in Florida for more than 50 years, where it is called M. glabra. He further believes that it is the same plant that is called M. punicifolia in Puerto Rico or that the two may be different forms of the same species. Wood- bury accepted two different cultivated species but is now willing to concede that there is confusion in the taxonomy of the group. The possibility that the cultivated material is of hybrid origin has also been suggested. Asenjo finds no appreciable differences in the vitamin content of the taxa studied. (4)Malpighia emarginata listed as naturalized in Puerto Rico but not M. glabra. (5)2003 report lists 381 naturalized or invasive alien plants in Caribbean by group, but only Malpighia emarginata reported as naturalized in Puerto Rico. No Malpighia spp. reported to be naturalized in Jamaica or Cuba.

(1)Morton, J. 1987. Barbados Cherry. Pp. 204–207. In Julia F. Morton. Fruits of warm climates. Miami, FL. (2)Liogier, H.A. 1997. Descriptive Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: Spermatophyta - Dicotyledonae. Editorial UPR. San Juan, PR. (3)Velez, I. 1956. Notes on the Ecology of West Indian Species of Malpighia. Science, New Series 124(3216): 317. (4)Francis, J.K. and H. A. Liogier. 1991. Naturalized Exotic Tree Species in Puerto Rico. General Technical Report SO-82. United States Department of Agriculture. Forest Service. New Orleans, Louisiana. (5)Kairo, M., B. Ali, O. Cheesman, K. Haysom and S. Murphy. 2003. Invasive Species Threats in the Caribbean Region REPORT TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY. CAB INTERNATIONAL. Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies.

3.02

Widely planted with no reports of invasiveness or negative impacts (1)Invasive potential: not known to be invasive

(1)Gilman, E.F. 1999. Malpighia glabra. Fact Sheet FPS-390. Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/MALGLAA.PDF.

3.03

Widely planted with no reports of invasiveness or negative impacts (1)Invasive potential: not known to be invasive

(1)Gilman, E.F. 1999. Malpighia glabra. Fact Sheet FPS-390. Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/MALGLAA.PDF.

3.04

(1)PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants Malpighia glabra (Wild crapemyrtle) is a PlantWise native alternative for: Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese privet) Nandina domestica (sacred bamboo) (2)Invasive potential: not known to be invasive

(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAGL6 [Accessed 17 Sep 2008] (2)Gilman, E.F. 1999. Malpighia glabra. Fact Sheet FPS-390. Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/MALGLAA.PDF.

3.05

(1)Malpighia cubensis and Malpighia emarginata listed as weeds, but no further information on impacts was found

(1)http://www.hear.org/gcw/scientificnames/scinamem.htm [Accessed 18 Sep 2008]

4.01

(1)No evidence

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

4.02

(1)No evidence

(1)Yoshiharu, F., S. S. P., M. M. Parvez, Y. Ohmae and O. Iida. 2003. Screening of 239 medicinal plant species for allelopathic activity using the sandwich method. Weed Biology and Management Weed Biology and Management 3(4): 233-241.

4.03

(1)No evidence

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

4.04

(1)It is a good animal forage. (2)White-tailed deer occasionally browse the leaves, and the fruits are eaten by the coyote and raccoon.

(1)Nugent, J. and J. Boniface. 2005. Chelsea Green Publishing. White River Jct., Vermont. (2)Everitt, J.H., D. L. Drawe, and R. I. Lonard. 2002. Trees, Shrubs & Cacti of South Texas. Texas Tech University Press. Lubbock, Texas.

4.05

No evidence (1)Fruit are edible and also a good animal forage

(1)Nugent, J. and J. Boniface. 2005. Chelsea Green Publishing. White River Jct., Vermont.

4.06

No evidence that this species is the main alternate host of important economic pests or pathogens (1)Problems - Nematodes, whiteflies, scale. Plant bugs attack and deform fruit. (2)Pest resistance: long-term health usually not affected
by pests (3)PESTS AND DISEASES The most serious pest of the Barbados cherry is the root-knot nematode which weakens the plant, causing it to drop leaves and display symptoms of malnutrition. Severe infestations inhibit growth and fruit production. This nematode is a more serious problem in sandy soils than in the alkaline, rockland soils of Dade County. It is not a problem in marl or clay soils. Preventive measures include use of sterilized soil in propagation, fumigation of the planting site and heavy mulching around the tree. Frequently, the fruit is attacked by plant bugs which sting the fruit, giving it a dimpled appearance. This may result in off flavors and reduced fruit size. There is no practical control for this pest. Other insects which attack the tree include various scale insects, whiteflies, aphids and caterpillars. Cercospora leaf spot is the only disease problem on Barbados cherry of much concern in Florida where its occurrence is associated with high humidity. The spots are roughly circular, slightly sunken, dark brown lesions with gray centers and are surrounded by a yellow halo. The lesions occur on both leaf surfaces and are typically larger on young leaves than on mature ones.

(1)Dehgan, B. 1998. Landscape Plants for Subtropical Climates. University Press of Florida. Gainesville, FL. (2)Gilman, E.F. 1999. Malpighia glabra. Fact Sheet FPS-390. Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/MALGLAA.PDF. (3)Phillips., R.L. 1994. Barbados Cherry. FC28. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG041

4.07

(1)The leaves and petioles have tiny stinging hairs which can cause skin irritation. (2)Physicians in Curacao report that children often require treatment for intestinal inflammation and obstruction caused by eating quantities of the entire fruits, including seeds, from the wild Barbados cherries which abound on the island. People who pick Barbados cherries without gloves and long sleeves may suffer skin irritation from contact with the minute stinging hairs on the leaves and petioles.

(1)Nugent, J. and J. Boniface. 2005. Permaculture Plants. Chelsea Green Publishing. White River Jct., Vermont. (2)Morton, J. 1987. Barbados Cherry. Pp. 204–207. In Julia F. Morton. Fruits of warm climates. Miami, FL.

4.08

No evidence (1)The wood will not burn unless totally dried.

(1)Nugent, J. and J. Boniface. 2005. Chelsea Green Publishing. White River Jct., Vermont.

4.09

(1)Full to part sun

(1)Llamas, K.A. 2003. Tropical Flowering Plants. A Guide To Identification and Cultivation. Timber Press. Portland, OR.

4.10

(1)Average, well-drained soil (2)It is a very tough and versatile plant, which will grow in any soil under almost any conditions...

(1)Llamas, K.A. 2003. Tropical Flowering Plants. A Guide To Identification and Cultivation. Timber Press. Portland, OR. (2)Nugent, J. and J. Boniface. 2005. Chelsea Green Publishing. White River Jct., Vermont.

4.11

(1)Shrub or treelet 3-20' tall

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

4.12

Occurs in thickets, but no evidence found that it excludes species (1)In thickets, brushlands, and palm groves in the southern Coastal Prairie and southern Rio Grande Plains. (2)Generally grows in thickets in the southern Coastal Prairie. (3)Malpighia glabra L. Jupiter (Pittier). In thickets and hedges, Meseta Central to the Pacific coast. Widely dispersed in tropical America.

(1)Everitt, J.H., D. L. Drawe, and R. I. Lonard. 2002. Trees, Shrubs & Cacti of South Texas. Texas Tech University Press. Lubbock, Texas. (2)http://littlebendnursery.com/Shrub%20List.htm [Accessed 18 Sep 2008] (3)Standley, P. C. 1937. Flora of Costa Rica. Part II. Filed Museum of Natural History Volume 18. Chicago, IL.

5.01

(1)Terrestrial

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

5.02

(1)Malpighiaceae

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

5.03

(1)Malpighiaceae

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

5.04

(1)Shrub or treelet 3-20' tall

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

6.01

(1)No evidence

Woodson, Jr., R.E., R. W. Schery, J. Cuatrecasas, T. B. Croat and J. Vivaldi. 1980. Flora of Panama. Part VI. Family 93. Malpighiaceae. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 67(4): 851-945.

6.02

(1)can be grown from seed

(1)Nugent, J. and J. Boniface. 2005. Chelsea Green Publishing. White River Jct., Vermont.

6.03

Unknown if natural hybridization occurs (1)The possibility that the cultivated material is of hybrid origin has also been suggested.

(1)Velez, I. 1956. Notes on the Ecology of West Indian Species of Malpighia. Science, New Series 124(3216): 317.

6.04

(1)Table 1 list Malpighia glabra as self-incompatible. (2)The pollination requirements of acerola are, therefore, not too well understood, but apparently cross-pollination is essential for the highest percentage of fruit set.

(1)Jaimes, I. and N. Ramirez. 1999. Breeding systems in a secondary deciduous forest in Venezuela: The importance of life form, habitat, and pollination specificity. Plant Systematics and Evolution (2)CROPS DEPENDENT UPON OR BENEFITED BY INSECT POLLINATION. http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/book/Aceralf1.html [Accessed 18 Sep 2008]

6.05

(1)Melo et al. (1997) working in an orchard of acerola (Malpighia glabra L.) in the northeastern region registered bees in the Anthophoridae Halictidae as effective pollinators…ten species documented [translated from Portuguese] (2)In Florida, bees visit Barbados cherry flowers in great numbers and are the principal pollinators. Maintenance of hives near Barbados cherry trees substantially improves fruit set. (3)Centris is a large genus of fast-flying moderate to large bees found in forested and desert habitats of the New World. These bees play important keystone mutualist roles by providing essential ecosystem services (pollination, nutrient cycling, bioturbation and themselves as food for other organisms). Centridine bees are unusually hairy, thus capable of transporting thousands of pollen grains and are highly effective pollinators of native plants and crops. Centris species are important pollinators of oil-producing (elaiophore-bearing) plants in the pantropical family Malpighiaceae. They visit, harvest floral oils and pollinate Byrsonima ("Nance") and Malpighia glabra ("Barbados Cherry") grown as crops. Some of the smaller Centris can be readily managed and deployed in trap nest bundles within plantings of managed crops. Like Centris, the large genus Xylocopa is an important genus just now being developed as a pollinator of certain crops. Both genera harvest pollen from angiosperms with poricidal anthers. These bees utilize floral sonication ("buzz pollination") to eject and rapidly harvest pollen grains from these specialized poricidal anthers. The syndrome of buzz pollination, and those bee taxa utilizing this pollen harvesting strategy are discssed. Preliminary information on the use of carpenter bees as pollinators of greenhouse hydroponic tomatoes in Arizona, are also presented.

(1)Melo C. G. de, E.U. Alves, M.C.A., Lorenzon and J.L. Baptista. 1997. Polinizadores de Malpiglia glabra L. Mensagem Doce 42: 14-17. (2)Morton, J. 1987. Barbados Cherry. Pp. 204–207. In Julia F. Morton. Fruits of warm climates. Miami, FL. (3)Buchmann, S.L. 2004. ASPECTS OF CENTRIDINE BIOLOGY (CENTRIS SPP.) IMPORTANCE FOR POLLINATION, AND USE OF XYLOCOPA SPP. AS GREENHOUSE POLLINATORS OF TOMATOES AND OTHER CROPS. Pp 203-212 in B. M. Freitas and J. O. P. Pereira (eds.). SOLITARY BEES CONSERVATION, REARING AND MANAGEMENT FOR POLLINATION. A contribution to the International Workshop on Solitary Bees and Their Role in Pollination, held in Beberibe, Ceará, Brazil, in April 2004

6.06

Well-studied species with no evidence of natural vegetative spread, suckering or fragmentation (1)usually propagated by air layering (marcottage) or by hardwood cuttings. Air layering is best done during spring and summer while the plants are growing and requires 6 to 8 weeks for rooting. Leafy hardwood cuttings from healthy plants root within 2 months. Indolebutyric acid will help to induce rooting. It can also be propagated by side veneer or cleft grafts on young seedlings or on trees which produce inferior fruit.

(1)Phillips., R.L. 1994. Barbados Cherry. FC28. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG041

6.07

(1)The plant should begin to fruit after about 4 years.

(1)Nugent, J. and J. Boniface. 2005. Chelsea Green Publishing. White River Jct., Vermont.

7.01

(1)No means of external attachment

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

7.02

(1)Escobilloa is much planted as an ornamental

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

7.03

No evidence and unlikely as fruit and seeds are relatively large (1)Fruit pyramidato-globose, usually smooth and unlobed, 1-1.5 cm diam.; pyrenes ovoid, 7-10 mm long, 5-7 mm wide; dorsal wing entire, ca. 1 mm wide, lateral wings undeveloped, margin tuberculate or verrucose, intermediate wings absent.

(1)Woodson, Jr., R.E., R. W. Schery, J. Cuatrecasas, T. B. Croat and J. Vivaldi. 1980. Flora of Panama. Part VI. Family 93. Malpighiaceae. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 67(4): 851-945.

7.04

(1)Fruit a fleshy red drupe (or berry), glabrous

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

7.05

No evidence (1)Three genera of shrubs and trees, representing different clades in the family, have independently evolved fleshy bird-dispersed fruits ranging in size from a pea to a small plum; they are Bunchosia, Byrsonima, and Malpighia.

(1)http://herbarium.lsa.umich.edu/malpigh/Intro/MorphFruit3.html [Accessed 18 Sep 2008]

7.06

(1)Fruit a fleshy red drupe (or berry), glabrous

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

7.07

(1)Fruit a fleshy red drupe (or berry), glabrous [No means of external attachment]

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

7.08

(1)Fruit a fleshy red drupe (or berry), glabrous (2)Use Wildlife: Nectar-insects, Fruit-birds, Fruit-mammals, Browse. (3)White-tailed deer occasionally browse the leaves, and the fruits are eaten by the coyote and raccoon.

(1)Staples, G.W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. (2)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAGL6 [Accessed 17 Sep 2008] (3)Everitt, J.H., D. L. Drawe, and R. I. Lonard. 2002. Trees, Shrubs & Cacti of South Texas. Texas Tech University Press. Lubbock, Texas.

8.01

No evidence, and unlikely given size of plants and fruits (1)Description: Understory treelet. Small opposite leaves, usually 2-7 cm in length (but highly variable). Leaves deltoid in shape with acuminate leaf tip. Where leaves attach to branch there is a small swollen ‘joint’ or flared region. Red 2 cm diameter ovoid fruit, 1-3 seeded, with a 6 mm long peduncle.

(1)Enquist, B.J. and J. J. Sullivan. 2001. Vegetative key and descriptions of tree species of the tropical dry forests of upland Sector Santa Rosa, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. http://www.acguanacaste.ac.cr/paginas_especie/plantae_online/EnquistSullivanTreeKey.pdf

8.02

(1)Storage Behaviour: Recalcitrant? Storage Conditions: Seeds cannot be dried (Harrington, 1972); viability can be maintained for 6 months at 5°C with partially dried seeds (Riley, 1981)

(1)http://data.kew.org/sid/SidServlet?ID=14857&Num=wV6 [Accessed 18 Sep 2008]

8.03

Unknown [no information found control]

8.04

(1)It should be sheared periodically to encourage bushy growth. In south Texas, Barbados-cherry (M. glabra) forms a dense ground cover when mowed. It can be kept mowed at 2 feet tall.

(1)Mielke, J. 1993. Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes. University of Texas Press, Austin.

8.05

(1)Few diseases have been reported. However, in Florida, there are cases of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and leafspotting by the fungus, Cercospora bunchosiae, is a serious malady in Florida, Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

(1)Morton, J. 1987. Barbados Cherry. Pp. 204–207. In Julia F. Morton. Fruits of warm climates. Miami, FL.