Research directed by C. Daehler (UH Botany) with funding from the Kaulunani Urban Forestry Program and US Forest Service

Information on Risk Assessments
Original risk assessment

Polyscias guilfoylei; geranium aralia

Answer

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated?

y=-3, n=0

n

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

n

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

n

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

y=1, n=0

y

2.05

Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2

?=-1, n=0

y

3.01

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

3.02

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

n=0

n

3.03

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

n=0

n

3.04

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

n=0

n

3.05

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

n=0

y

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y=1, n=0

n

4.02

Allelopathic

y=1, n=0

n

4.03

Parasitic

y=1, n=0

n

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

y=1, n=-1

n

4.05

Toxic to animals

y=1, n=0

n

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

y=1, n=0

n

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

y=1, n=0

n

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

y=1, n=0

4.09

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

y=1, n=0

y

4.1

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

y=1, n=0

y

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y=1, n=0

n

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y=1, n=0

n

5.01

Aquatic

y=5, n=0

n

5.02

Grass

y=1, n=0

n

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

y=1, n=0

n

5.04

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

y=1, n=0

n

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

y=1, n=0

n

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y=1, n=-1

y

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

y=1, n=-1

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

y=1, n=-1

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

y=-1, n=0

n

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y=1, n=-1

n

6.07

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

See left

4

7.01

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

y=1, n=-1

n

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y=1, n=-1

y

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

y=1, n=-1

n

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

y=1, n=-1

n

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

y=1, n=-1

y

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

y=1, n=-1

n

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

y=1, n=-1

y

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

y=1, n=-1

n

8.02

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

y=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

8.05

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

y=-1, n=1

Total score:

0

Source

Notes

1.01

no evidence

1.02

Wunderlin, R. P. 1998, Guide to the vascular plants of Florida. Gainesville, University Press of Florida.

apparently rare escape from cultivation in Florida [not in Long and Lakela, A flora of tropical Florida]

1.03

no evidence

2.01

Whistler, A.W. (2000) Tropical Oramentals: a Guide. Timber Press, Inc., Portland, Oregon. 542pp.

"is probably native to somewhere in Melanesia but is widely cultivated for its attractive foliage"

2.02

2.03

Whistler, A.W. (2000) Tropical Oramentals: a Guide. Timber Press, Inc., Portland, Oregon. 542pp.

"is probably native to somewhere in Melanesia but is widely cultivated for its attractive foliage"

2.04

Whistler, A.W. (2000) Tropical Oramentals: a Guide. Timber Press, Inc., Portland, Oregon. 542pp.

"is probably native to somewhere in Melanesia but is widely cultivated for its attractive foliage"

2.05

(1) USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
(2) Rajendran, B.; Gopalan, M.(1982) Note on the biochemical changes induced by Polyscias guilfoylei Bailey (Araliaceae) in Dysdercus cingulatus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae). Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 1982, Vol.52, No.1, pp.46-48, 12 ref.
(3) Cáceres, O.; González, E.; Delgado, R. (1996) Nutritive value of foliage from tropical trees and shrubs. I. Aralia (Polyscias guilfoylei Bailey). [FT: Valor nutritivo de follaje de arboles y arbustos tropicales. I. Aralia (Polyscias guilfoylei Bailey).] Pastos y Forrajes, 1996, Vol.19, No.1, pp.93-97, 12 ref.

(1) Present in USA: Florida, Puerto Rico (2) India (3) Cuba

3.01

Wunderlin, R. P. 1998, Guide to the vascular plants of Florida. Gainesville, University Press of Florida.

apparently rare escape from cultivation in Florida [not in Long and Lakela, A flora of tropical Florida]

3.02

no evidence

3.03

no evidence

3.04

no evidence

3.05

Randall, R. 2001. Garden Thugs. Plant Protection Quarterly

Polyscias sambucifolia is an environmental weed of Tasmania (native to Australia)

4.01

Whistler, A.W. (2000) Tropical Oramentals: a Guide. Timber Press, Inc., Portland, Oregon. 542pp.

no description of these traits(leaf edges somewhat prickly)

4.02

4.03

no evidence

4.04

Cáceres, O.; González, E.; Delgado, R. (1996) Nutritive value of foliage from tropical trees and shrubs. I. Aralia (Polyscias guilfoylei Bailey). [FT: Valor nutritivo de follaje de arboles y arbustos tropicales. I. Aralia (Polyscias guilfoylei Bailey).] Pastos y Forrajes, 1996, Vol.19, No.1, pp.93-97, 12 ref.

AB: Foliage and young shoots of the tropical ornamental shrub Polyscias guilfoylei grown without irrigation or fertilizers were harvested daily and fed twice daily to caged sheep (44 kg liveweight) for 5-d periods in rainy and dry seasons. CP content reached 15.0% and 24.9% in dry and rainy seasons, respectively, with CP digestibility of 76.3% and 87.7%. Since voluntary intake was 75.9 g and 69.4 g/kg liveweight, respectively, it was concluded that nutritive value and potential value to small ruminants were high.

4.05

Cáceres, O.; González, E.; Delgado, R. (1996) Nutritive value of foliage from tropical trees and shrubs. I. Aralia (Polyscias guilfoylei Bailey). [FT: Valor nutritivo de follaje de arboles y arbustos tropicales. I. Aralia (Polyscias guilfoylei Bailey).] Pastos y Forrajes, 1996, Vol.19, No.1, pp.93-97, 12 ref.

AB: Foliage and young shoots of the tropical ornamental shrub Polyscias guilfoylei grown without irrigation or fertilizers were harvested daily and fed twice daily to caged sheep (44 kg liveweight) for 5-d periods in rainy and dry seasons. CP content reached 15.0% and 24.9% in dry and rainy seasons, respectively, with CP digestibility of 76.3% and 87.7%. Since voluntary intake was 75.9 g and 69.4 g/kg liveweight, respectively, it was concluded that nutritive value and potential value to small ruminants were high.

4.06

Lockhart, B. E. L.; Olszewski, N. E. (1996) Schefflera ringspot virus, a widely distributed mealybug-transmitted badnavirus occurring in Schefflera and Aralia . Acta Horticulturae, 1996, No.432, pp.196-202, 10 ref.

AB: A previously undescribed badnavirus, named schefflera ringspot badnavirus (SRV), was found in scheffleras (Brassaia actinophylla and Schefflera arboricola ) and aralias (Polyscias balfouriana , P. balfouriana cv. Marginata , P. fruticosa and P. guilfoylei ) in Australia, Barbados, Cuba, Mauritius, Honduras, Taiwan, Thailand and the USA. SRV infection caused leaf mottling and chlorotic and necrotic ringspots in schefflera and was associated with chlorotic spotting, vein-clearing and reduction of leaf size in aralia. Symptoms occurred sporadically and appeared to be correlated with changes in environmental conditions. SRV was transmitted by the citrus mealybug (Planococcus citri ) from infected schefflera and aralia to healthy schefflera seedlings, but not to Fatsia japonica or Hedera helix , 2 other Araliaceae. Virions of SRV were similar to those of other badnaviruses, measuring 30 x 150 nm and containing a ds DNA genome. SRV reacted with antisera to several badnaviruses, but was most closely related, se

4.07

http://www.winrock.org/FORESTRY/FACTPUB/AIS_web/AIS11.html

leaves eaten for human food

4.08

grown as a hedge , waxy leaves, possibly high flamability

4.09

Aasha, K.; Nair, S. R. (1992) Effect of varying light intensities on the growth and development of indoor foliage plants. South Indian Horticulture, 1992, Vol.40, No.1, pp.64-66, 5 ref.

AB: The foliage plants Aglaonema costatum, Alocasia cuprea, Polyscias guilfoylei cv. Victoriae, Dracaena sanderiana and Dieffenbachia picta [D. maculata ] were established in pots under optimum conditions and then transferred to shade treatments with light intensities corresponding to 10, 25, 50 or 75% sunlight. Controls were grown in full sunlight. Height, leaf area and number of leaves were recorded after 180 days of treatment and chlorophyll content was estimated. In full sunlight, Aglaonema costatum and Alocasia cuprea survived for 100 days, after which time leaves were completely scorched. Shaded conditions increased plant height significantly in Dracaena sanderiana (47.3 cm and 58.4 cm in full and 10% sunlight, respectively) and Dieffenbachia maculata, but had no significant effect on height in Aglaonema costatum and Alocasia cuprea and decreased height in P. guilfoylei. Aglaonema costatum, Alocasia cuprea and Dracaena sanderiana produced more leaves under shade than under full sunlight, while in Dieff

4.1

Dehgan, B. (1998) Landscape Plants for Subtropical Climates. University Press of Florida., Gainesville, FL. 638pp. p.252-254

based on Polyscia spp. "prefers moist-well drained soil but will tolerate a wide variety of soils"

4.11

Whistler, A.W. (2000) Tropical Oramentals: a Guide. Timber Press, Inc., Portland, Oregon. 542pp.

"shrub or small tree to 7 m high"

4.12

no evidence

5.01

terrestrial

5.02

shrub or small tree; Araliaceae

5.03

no evidence

5.04

shrub or small tree

6.01

no evidence

6.02

Whistler, A.W. (2000) Tropical Oramentals: a Guide. Timber Press, Inc., Portland, Oregon. 542pp.

" fruit a subglobose drupe"

6.03

no evidence

6.04

no evidence

6.05

no evidence

6.06

no evidence

6.07

R. Criley, UH Department of Horticulture, personal communication

7.01

no evidence

7.02

Burch, D. G.; Broschat, T. K. (1983) Aralias in Florida horticulture. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society, 1983, Vol.96, pp.161-164, 6 ref.
AB: This survey includes a key to Polyscias spp. (commonly known as aralias) based on leaf morphology and a descriptive list of major species and their cultivars. Most aralias are grown for house plant production, although P. guilfoylei is used as a hedge or windbreak in southern Florida.

AB: This survey includes a key to Polyscias spp. (commonly known as aralias) based on leaf morphology and a descriptive list of major species and their cultivars. Most aralias are grown for house plant production, although P. guilfoylei is used as a hedge or windbreak in southern Florida.

7.03

no evidence

7.04

no evidence

7.05

no evidence

7.06

Whistler, A.W. (2000) Tropical Oramentals: a Guide. Timber Press, Inc., Portland, Oregon. 542pp.

" fruit a subglobose drupe"

7.07

no evidence

7.08

dispersed by birds

8.01

(1)http://www.forestfarmers.com.au/Species/P-eleg.htm (2)Mabberley, M.J. 1998. The Plant Book. Cambridge University Press.

two seeds per drupe (Poylscias) (2)Rarely flowers in cultuvation

8.02

no evidence

8.03

no evidence

8.04

grown as a hedge but does not usually require frequent pruning (relatively slow growth)

8.05

no evidence