Russelia equisetiformis Schlecht. & Cham., Scrophulariaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk, score: -2 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: coral plant, coralplant, firecracker flower, fountainplant

French: plante corail

I-Kiribati: te kaibaun

Maori (Cook Islands): menemene

Marshallese: albokbororo

Niuean: tamafine

Spanish: coral

Habit:  shrub

Description: 

Genus: "Strongly branched shrubs, erect or straggling, the stem angular-ribbed; leaves verticillate or opposite, small, the upper ones often minute or reduced to scales; inflorescences cymose-paniculate, 1-4-flowered; flowers showy, the pedicels ebracteolate; calyx small, deeply 5-partite nearly to base, the lobes lanceolate to ovate, subequal; corolla bright red, tubular to tubular-campanulate, the tube long, widened toward apex, not ventrally spurred or saccate, the throat open, the limb small, 5-lobed, the lobes erecto-patent to spreading, rounded, subequal, the 2 posterior ones external in bud, connate about halfway, not hooded nor enclosing anthers; stamens 4, included within corolla tube, didynamous, the anthers 2-locular, the locules divergent or not, the staminode absent (or very minute); style filiform, upcurved and slightly 2-lobed at apex, the stigma single, entire or slightly bilobed; capsule globose or broadly ellipsoid, septicidally 4-valved, the valves bifid, the seeds numerous, small, oblong."  (Smith, 1991)

Species: "Shrub, spreading, to 1.5 m high with numerous green, drooping, angular stems.  Leaves simple, arranged in whorls of five to eight, blade usually reduced to linear scales but sometimes ovate to elliptic, 1-2.5 cm long.  Flowers continuously through the year; flowers borne in whorls of one to four in loose, stalked cymes at the leaf axils.  Corolla with fused petals, tubular, 1.5-2.5 cm long, shallowly five-lobed at the tip, bright red.  Fruit a subglobose capsule, infrequently formed in cultivation"  (Whistler, 2000; pp. 402-403).

"Shrub to 1.5 m high; leaves up to 7 in a whorl, ovate, to 2 cm long, but mostly reduced  to linear scales; corolla tubular, bright read, 15-25 mm long, the lobes about 3 mm long" (Smith, 1991; pp. 77-78).

"Distinguishable by the shrubby habit, drooping branches, tiny bract-like leaves in whorls at the axils, and red tubular flowers five-lobed at the tip.  The flowers are very similar to those of Odontonema tubiforme, which is easily distinguished by its bread rather than scale-like leaves"  (Whistler, 2000; p. 402).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "cultivated and freely naturalized in sandy clearings and along streets and roadsides near sea level"  (Smith, 1991; pp. 77-78).  In Niue, "large clumps of it grow adventively in a number of places by the roadside"  (Sykes, 1970; p. 192). In New Caledonia, "cultivée dans les jardins et parfois naturalisé" (MacKee, 1994; p. 129). Arid lowlands in the Galápagos Islands (McMullen, 1999; p. 176).

Propagation:  Seed, cuttings.

Native range:  "Mexico, now widely cultivated throughout the tropics and readily naturalizing"  (Smith, 1991; pp. 77-78).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll	cultivated	Tschan, Bill (year unknown)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Miti‘aro Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Kambara Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 78) Voucher cited: Smith 1289
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (p. 78) Voucher cited: DA 16737
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Marquesas Islands	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 268)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Bora Bora Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 268) Voucher cited: Grant 5086
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 268) Vouchers cited: Moore 210, BRY 25393a Escaping and persisting.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 268)
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Takapoto Atoll	introduced cultivated	Sachet, M-H. (1983) (p. 36) Voucher cited: Sachet 2080 (US)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 526) Voucher cited: Stone 4731 (GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007) As Russelia juncea Zucc.
Kiribati Line Islands	Tabuaeran (Fanning) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Wester, Lyndon (1985) (p. 31) Persists in abandoned gardens.
Kiribati Line Islands	Teraina (Washington) Island	introduced cultivated	Wester, Lyndon (1985) (p. 31) Persists in abandoned gardens.
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Abemama Atoll	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. 10) Voucher specimen collected: Imada 2003-170 (BISH 697781)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Butaritari Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Butaritari Atoll	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. 10) Voucher specimen collected: Imada 2003-52 (BISH 697667)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Maiana Atoll	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. 10) Voucher specimen collected: Imada 2003-99 (BISH 697714)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Onotoa Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Onotoa Atoll	cultivated	Moul, Edwin T. (1957) (p. 21) Vouchers cited: Moul 8167 (US), Moul 8307 (US), Moul 8387 (US)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tabiteuea Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. 10)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Ailinglaplap (Ailinglapalap) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Ebon (Epoon) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 103) Not seen on this survey and may no longer be present.
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Likiep Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Likiep Atoll	introduced cultivated	Fosberg, F. R. (1955) (p. 20) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 33858 (US), Fosberg 27046 (US)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 125)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Utirik (Utrõk) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Utirik (Utrõk) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Fosberg, F. R. (1959) (p. 6) Voucher cited: Fosberg 36711 (US)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 195) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 58678 (US), Scully 157N (US), Hassall 213 (SUVA)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Lifou	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 129) Voucher cited: Hoff 1232 (NOU)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Îles Ouvéa (Ouvea Atoll)	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 129) Voucher cited: Sarasin 888
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 129) Vouchers cited: Grunow s.n. (W), Däniker 156, Buchholz 1611, Guillaumin 8566, MacKee 8146, MacKee 27314
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 192) Vouchers cited: CRH 168692, 168694
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 107) Voucher cited: Yuncker 9680 (BISH) "Occasional about dwellings and also along roadsides as an escape".
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 15) Specimen collected: BMW 7075 (BISH, CHR, BRI)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 102)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 250)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 98)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Malakal Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 98)
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island	introduced	St. John, H. (1987) (p. 50) Voucher cited: Fosberg & B. Christian 11180
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 106)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands	introduced cultivated	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 241) "Occasional in villages".

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	probably native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 126)

Additional information:  Additional online information about Russelia equisetiformis is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Russelia equisetiformis may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Falanruw, Marjorie C./Maka, Jean E./Cole, Thomas G./Whitesell, Craig D. 1990. Common and scientific names of trees and shrubs of Mariana, Caroline, and Marshall Islands. Pac. SW Forest and Range Expt. Stn. Resource Bulletin PSW-67. 91 pp.

Fosberg, F. R. 1955. Northern Marshall Islands Expedition, 1951-1952. Land biota: vascular plants. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 39. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 22 pp.

Fosberg, F. R. 1959. Additional records of phanerogams from the northern Marshall Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 68. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 9 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Kato, Hidetoshi. 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Personal communication.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

McMullen, C. K. 1999. Flowering plants of the Galápagos. Comstock Pub. Assoc., Ithaca, N.Y. 370 p.

Moul, Edwin T. 1957. Preliminary report on the flora of Onotoa Atoll, Gilbert Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 57. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 48 pp.

Sachet, M-H. 1983. Takapoto Atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago: terrestrial vegetation and flora. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 277. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 41 pp. + photos.

Smith, Albert C. 1991. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 5. 626 pp.

Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. 2004. Report to the Republic of Kiribati on invasive plant species on the islands of Tarawa, Abemama, Butaritari and Maiana. Cont. no. 2003-006 to the Pac. Biol. Surv. USDA Forest Service and Bishop Museum, Honolulu. 103 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate. 2004. Report to the Government of Niue and the United Nations Development Programme: Invasive plant species on Niue following Cyclone Heta. UNDP NIU/98/G31 - Niue Enabling Activity. 80 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar. 2003. Report to the Republic of Palau on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 174 pp.

St. John, H. 1987. An account of the flora of Pitcairn Island with new Pandanus species. Honolulu, 65 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Swarbrick, J. T. 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: a report to Parks Australia. 101 pp. plus appendix.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

Thaman, R. R. 1987. Plants of Kiribati: a listing and analysis of vernacular names. Atoll Res. Bull. 296:1-42.

Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. 1994. The flora of Nauru. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Research Bulletin 392:1-223.

Tschan, Bill. 0. Bill Tschan, pers. com.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Vander Velde, Nancy. 2003. The vascular plants of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Atoll Research Bulletin No. 503:1-141.

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Wester, Lyndon. 1985. Checklist of the vascular plants of the northern Line Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Reseach Bulletin 287:1-38.

Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. 1999. Botanical survey of the United States of America Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Islands. Prepared for Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the U. S. Army Environmental Center. 111 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.