Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

Tabebuia impetiginosa

RISK ASSESSMENT RESULTS: Low risk, score: -2

Australian/New Zealand Weed Risk Assessment adapted for Hawai‘i.
Information on Risk Assessments
Original risk assessment
  Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mauve tabebuia, amapa, amapa rosa, ipe roxo) Synonym- Tabebuia palmeri Family- Bignoniaceae Answer Score
1.01 Is the species highly domesticated? n 0
1.02 Has the species become naturalized where grown? n  
1.03 Does the species have weedy races? 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” 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
2.04 Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates y 1
2.05 Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range?  y=-2 y  
3.01 Naturalized beyond native range         y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05 n -2
3.02 Garden/amenity/disturbance weed                              y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2) n 0
3.03 Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed                         y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2) n 0
3.04 Environmental weed                                                     y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2) n 0
3.05 Congeneric weed                                                          y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2) y 2
4.01 Produces spines, thorns or burrs n 0
4.02 Allelopathic n 0
4.03 Parasitic n 0
4.04 Unpalatable to grazing animals    
4.05 Toxic to animals n 0
4.06 Host for recognized pests and pathogens n 0
4.07 Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans n 0
4.08 Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems n 0
4.09 Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle n 0
4.1 Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island) y 1
4.11 Climbing or smothering growth habit n 0
4.12 Forms dense thickets n 0
5.01 Aquatic n 0
5.02 Grass n 0
5.03 Nitrogen fixing woody plant n 0
5.04 Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers) n 0
6.01 Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat n 0
6.02 Produces viable seed. y 1
6.03 Hybridizes naturally    
6.04 Self-compatible or apomictic n -1
6.05 Requires specialist pollinators n 0
6.06 Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation y 1
6.07 Minimum generative time (years)                 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1 4 -1
7.01 Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas) n -1
7.02 Propagules dispersed intentionally by people y 1
7.03 Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant n -1
7.04 Propagules adapted to wind dispersal y 1
7.05 Propagules water dispersed n -1
7.06 Propagules bird dispersed n -1
7.07 Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally) n -1
7.08 Propagules survive passage through the gut n -1
8.01 Prolific seed production (>1000/m2) n -1
8.02 Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr) n -1
8.03 Well controlled by herbicides    
8.04 Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire y 1
8.05 Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)    
  Total score:   -2

Supporting data:

  Notes Reference
1.01 No evidence  
1.02 No evidence of naturalization  
1.03 No evidence  
2.01 Tabebuia is native from Mexico to Argentina. Staples, W George and Derral H Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press. Honolulu. Hawaii.
2.02 Tabebuia is native from Mexico to Argentina. It is frequently cultivated outside its native range such as in Hawaii and Florida. Staples, W George and Derral H Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press. Honolulu. Hawaii.
2.03 (1)"The species has a wide distribution in Central and South American subtropical and tropical forests covering many vegetation formations, but reaches its highest abundance in semi-deciduous seasonally dry forests (Gentry, 1992). It occurs east of the Andes in South America from northern Argentina extending into Central America as far as east-central Mexico. Forest types containing T. impetiginosa include Atlantic rainforests, caatinga, cerrado (Lorenzi, 1995); semi-deciduous broadleaf forests, chaco woodland forests, montane humid forests (Killeen et al, 1993; Navarro, 1997); sub-Andean foothill forests (Gentry, 1973); Amazon humid forests, and sub-humid forests (Gentry, 1973). It occurs in both primary and secondary closed forests as well as in open savannahs and woodlands (Lorenzi, 1995)."  Altitude range: 0 - 1400 m
- Mean annual rainfall: 500 - 2000 mm
- Rainfall regime: summer
- Dry season duration: 4 - 7 months
- Mean annual temperature: 22 - 29ºC
- Mean maximum temperature of hottest month: 25 - 33ºC
- Mean minimum temperature of coldest month: 19 - 23ºC
- Absolute minimum temperature: -5 - 99ºC
(2)USDA hardiness zones: 9B through 11		 (1)CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.  (2)http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ST617
2.04 Tabebuia is native from Mexico to Argentina. It is frequently cultivated outside its native range such as in Hawaii and Florida. Staples, W George and Derral H Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press. Honolulu. Hawaii.
2.05 Tabebuia is native from Mexico to Argentina. It is frequently cultivated outside its native range such as in Hawaii and Florida. Staples, W George and Derral H Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press. Honolulu. Hawaii.
3.01 No evidence of naturalization  
3.02 No evidence  
3.03 No evidence  
3.04 Invasive potential: little invasive potential. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ST617
3.05 (1)Tabebuia heterophylla - "Invasive in Hawai‘i. Reported invasive on Diego Garcia and naturalizing on Kwajalein (Whistler and Steele, 1999). Naturalized in some locations on Nimitz Hill, Guam (Bart Lawrence, personal communication). Reported to be a problem species on Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean."  (2)"General impacts of T. heterophylla:
On the island Mauritius, Parnell et al. (1989) found that, "T. heterophylla was spreading rapidly on the island, with small numbers of mature trees present but abundant young plants and seedlings. It appears to grow faster than any native or exotic tree on the island. Most T. heterophylla bear leaves and branches almost to the base and cast a deep shade under which virtually no other species grow. T. heterophylla is deciduous and its thick litter layer may also prevent the growth of native seedlings.
PIER (2004) states that, "T. heterophylla is invasive in Hawai‘i. It is also reported invasive on Diego Garcia and naturalizing on Kwajalein (Whistler and Steele, 1999). T. heterophylla is also naturalized in some locations on Nimitz Hill, Guam (Bart Lawrence, personal communication)."
Zimmerman et al. (2000) state that, "T. heterophylla readily invades pasture via seed." In their study, Zimmerman et al. (2000) state that, "T. heterophylla appears to facilitate the colonization of many common forest species that are unable to establish in recently abandoned pasture."
Weaver (1990) states that, "T. heterophylla regenerates and forms pure stands on grasslands and degraded soils, in particular on exposed upper slopes and ridges, where competition from faster growing, larger, and more tolerant trees is lacking." In the seedling and sapling stages, T. heterophylla is an aggressive pioneer (Weaver, 1990), and it can maintain viable populations in both dry and moist forest habitats (Cordero and Molano, 1996)."
 		 (1)http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/tabebuia_heterophylla.htm  (2)http://www.invasivespecies.net/database/species/ecology.asp?si=868&fr=1&sts=
4.01 No evidence of such structures. CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
4.02 No evidence  
4.03 No evidence  
4.04 Don’t know.  
4.05 No evidence  
4.06 The following 2 species were listed to be associated with Tabebuia impetiginosa:  Asteromidium tabebuiae-impetiginosae sp.nov. fungus 
Meloidogyne arenaria (peanut root-knot nematode) nematode. [No evidence that the above pests are of economic importance].		 CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
4.07 No evidence  
4.08 (1)"It has a fire rating of A1 (the highest possible, the same as concrete), and is denser than water (it sinks)."  (2)" Forest types containing T. impetiginosa include Atlantic rainforests, caatinga, cerrado (Lorenzi, 1995); semi-deciduous broadleaf forests, chaco woodland forests, montane humid forests (Killeen et al, 1993; Navarro, 1997); sub-Andean foothill forests (Gentry, 1973); Amazon humid forests, and sub-humid forests (Gentry, 1973). It occurs in both primary and secondary closed forests as well as in open savannahs and woodlands (Lorenzi, 1995)." [Probably not - mostly inhabits wet forests and is not know to occur in groups/thickets]. (1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabebuia  (2)CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
4.09 Light requirement: full sun  
4.1 (1)Soil texture: light; medium; heavy
- Soil drainage: free
- Soil reaction: acid; neutral; alkaline
- Special soil tolerances: shallow; infertile   (2)Soil tolerances: clay; sand; loam; alkaline; acidic; well-drained.		 (1)CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.  (2)http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ST617
4.11 A tall tree. CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
4.12    
5.01    
5.02    
5.03 No evidence of nitrogen fixaiton.  
5.04    
6.01 Flowering occurs during the early dry season (Lorenzi, 1995; Justiniano, 1998; Gentry, 1973) and is usually synchronous and massive. In South America, cold air masses from the Antarctic can delay or prevent flowering (Justiniano, 1998). CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
6.02 "Fruiting occurs during the late dry season when strong winds help disperse the small, winged seeds and subsequent rains aid germination. The natural viability of seeds is only six months (de Mello and da Eira, 1995), but can be stored up to two years at a temperature just above -20°C (de Mello and da Eira, 1995; Maeda and Matthes, 1984). Seed dispersal is good, but bruchid beetles cause high mortality, sometimes reaching 95% of the seed crop (Justiniano and Fredericksen, 2000, personal communication, BOLFOR, Santa Cruze, Bolivia). Regeneration in logged areas occurs more from root sprouts in logging roads and clearings than from seed (Fredericksen et al., 1999)."  
6.03 Don’t know.  
6.04  "Abstract: Although breeding system investigations were previously performed in only nine of the 100 Tabebuia species, indications of self-incompatibility have been found in all of them, and the four species studied for the site of incompatibility reaction showed some kind of late-acting self-incompatibility. Polyembryony has been found in T. chrysotricha and T. ochracea, with adventitious origin of the extra embryos being shown in the latter. We investigated the breeding system in five species of Tabebuia by hand-pollination experiments, fluorescence microscopy study of in situ pollen tube growth, and histological analysis of postpollination events. Although both T. chrysotricha and T. heptaphylla developed fruits by self-pollination, polyembryony was verified only in the former, which indicates that self-fertility in Tabebuia is not necessarily associated with apomixis. The remaining species were 100% self-sterile. Although some penetrated ovules in crossed pistils of T. vellosoi were found at the 48-h interval, none of the ovules in selfed pistil was penetrated at the same interval, with penetration of many ovules occurring 72 h postpollination. In T. impetiginosa, ovule penetration efficiency 48 h after pollination was higher in cross- than in self-pollinated pistils, and the majority of the ovules in selfed pistils were penetrated and fertilized in 72 h. The incidences of ovule fertilization and endosperm initiation were significantly slower in selfed compared with crossed pistils, and a clear developmental slowdown of the endosperm occurred in selfed pistils before abscission, although no other signs of developmental malfunctions were detected. In all of the self-sterile species, abortion of selfed pistils occurred in a small period after pollination, and no swelling of the ovary was observed in T. umbellata. All of these results agree with the occurrence of late-acting self-incompatibility in T. impetiginosa, T. umbellata, and T. vellosoi, and no evidence was found that self-sterility in these species is due to inbreeding depression." Bittencourt, Nelson Sabino Jr; Semir, Joao Late-acting self-incompatibility and other breeding systems in Tabebuia (Bignoniaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 166 (3) : 493-506 MAY 05
6.05 "Pollination is carried out mostly by bees." CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
6.06 Ability to sucker CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
6.07 "Unlike its yellow relative, Tabebuia chrysotricha this tree takes several years to flower, but its worth the wait!" http://www.smgrowers.com/info/tabebuiaimpet.asp
7.01 Probably not - no evidence that the propagules have any means of attachment.  
7.02 "The chestnut brown wood of this species is heavy and durable (Lorenzi, 1995) and is appropriate for heavy construction and flooring (Chudnoff, 1984). It is also used for furniture and musical instruments. The wood is similar to other Tabebuia species in the neotropics (Mainieri, 1989). Given its massive and colourful flowering, T. impetiginosa is used as an ornamental tree in many areas and is also proposed for plantings in windbreaks and shelterbelts (Saldías et al., 1994). The bark of the species contains napthoquinones which have anti-microbial and other medicinal properties." CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
7.03 Probably not - winged seeds.  
7.04 "Fruiting occurs during the late dry season when strong winds help disperse the small, winged seeds and subsequent rains aid germination. " CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
7.05 No evidence  
7.06 No probably not - fruit is a linear capsule.  
7.07 Fruit characteristics: does not attract wildlife; not showy; fruit/leaves not a litter problem. [Probably not - does not attract wildlife- also no evidence that the propagules have any means of attachment].  
7.08 Fruit characteristics: does not attract wildlife; not showy; fruit/leaves not a litter problem. [Probably not - does not attract wildlife].  
8.01 Probably not - winged seeds makes it relatively big in size. CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
8.02 "The natural viability of seeds is only six months (de Mello and da Eira, 1995), but can be stored up to two years at a temperature just above -20°C (de Mello and da Eira, 1995; Maeda and Matthes, 1984). " CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
8.03 No evidence that the species is being controlled for.  
8.04 Tolerates drought; fire; wind- Ability to sucker CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
8.05 Don’t know.  

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