Hiptage benghalensis (vine, climber, shrub)

Ecology Distribution Management Info Impact Info References and Links Contacts

General Impact H. benghalensis is reported as invasive in Florida, Hawaii, La Réunion, Mauritius and Western Australia (Randall 2002, in Starr Starr and Loope 2003). The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC 2001) lists H. benghalensis as a category II plant, which are species that have shown a potential to disrupt native plant communities (Starr Starr and Loope 2003). Randall (2002) lists this species in the global compendium of weeds for Western Australia (Starr Starr and Loope 2003) and in tropical Australian rainforests it is a pest (Grice and Setter 2002). On Réunion island it spreads widely by its wind-dispersed seeds and it reported to climb over and smother native vegetation (PIER 2002, in Starr Starr and Loope 2003). It is also reported as invasive in Mauritius (PIER 2002, in Starr Starr and Loope 2003). H. benghalensis is reported as invasive in Hawaii (PIER 2002, in Starr Starr and Loope 2003). In addition, this species is listed by Staples et al. (2000) in their checklist of invasive or potentially invasive cultivated plants in Hawaii (Starr Starr and Loope 2003).          Location Specific Impacts: Mauritius   Competition: It is an extremely invasive liana on the Mascarene islands of Mauritius and Réunion where it thrives in drier lowland forest, forms impenetrable thickets, smothers native vegetation, and chokes large trees. Reunion (La Réunion)   Competition: It climbs over and smothers native vegetation. It is an extremely invasive liana on the Mascarene islands of Mauritius and Réunion where it thrives in drier lowland forest, forms impenetrable thickets, smothers native vegetation, and chokes large trees.