Trema orientalis

Common Name: oriental trema

Family: Cannabaceae

Common Synonyms: none

USDA Hardiness Zone: 11

Growth Habit: Tree

Origin: Old World tropics

FISC Category: -

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: Oldest Florida herbarium specimen from 2004

IFAS Assessment:

• North: INVASIVE
• Central: INVASIVE
• South: INVASIVE

Description

Evergreen tree to 18 m tall and 0.6 m in trunk diameter. Bark light gray grown, smooth, finely fissured. Twigs long, slender, unbranched, spreading, light green, turning brown. Leaves alternate, in two rows, with slender leafstalks 1?2 cm long, finely hairy. Blades narrowly ovate, 6-10 cm long and 2-3 cm wide, very long-pointed at apex, base slightly notched with sides unequal, edges finely serrate, thin, with three main veins from base. Upper surface light green, slightly shiny and rough, with veins sunken, lower surface dull and paler, soft hairy, with prominent light yellow veins. Inflorescence an axillary cyme, 1-5 cm long and broad. Flowers many, nearly stalkless, light green, 3 mm long, male and female in separate inflorescences. Fruit a round drupe, 5 mm in diameter, fleshy, pink maturing to black. Seed single, round, brown, more than 1.5 mm long.

Habitat

Disturbed areas

Comments

Seeds dispersed by animals. Vouchered in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.

Control Methods

• Manual: NA
• Chemical: Sensitive to cut-surface applications of glyphosate. Triclopyr amine at 10% product in water as cut stump, basal bark, and frill applications.
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

NA

References

Little, E. L. and R. Skolmen. 1989. Common Forest Trees of Hawaii (Native and Introduced). Agriculture Handbook No. 679. Forest Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Reprinted version published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2003.www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry/trees/.../CFT_Trema_orientalis.pdf. Accessed on June 25, 2014.

Motooka, P. et al. 2003. Trema orientalis in Weeds of Hawaiis Pastures and Natural Areas, An Identification and Management Guide. http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/invweed/WeedsHI/W_Trema_orientalis.pdf. Accessed on June 23, 2014.