''Bocconia frutescens'' is a species of flowering plant in the

poppy family The Poppy Family was a Canadian psychedelic pop group based in Vancouver. They had a number of international hit records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Career Seventeen-year-old Susan Pesklevits met Terry Jacks in the mid-1960s when he ...

known by many common names, including plume poppy, tree poppy, tree celandine, parrotweed,''Bocconia frutescens.''
US Forest Service, Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER). sea oxeye daisy,Starr, F., et al. (2003)
''Bocconia frutescens''.
USGS Biological Resources Division. Haleakala Field Station, Maui, Hawai'i. and John Crow bushChimera, C. G. 2003
Report on ''Bocconia frutescens''.
Internal Report prepared for the Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk Project. in English, ''gordolobo'', ''llorasangre'',Sánchez-Arreola, E., et al. (2006)
Alkaloids from ''Bocconia frutescens'' and biological activity of their extracts.
''Pharmaceutical Biology'' 44(7) 540-43. ''tabaquillo'', ''palo amarillo'',''Bocconia frutescens''.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. ''palo de toro'' and ''pan cimarrón'' in Spanish, ''bois codine'' in French and ''bwa kodenn '' in Haitian Kreyòl. It is native to the Americas, including Mexico, parts of Central and South America, and the West Indies. It is perhaps better known in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, where it is an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...

and an aggressive

invasive weed An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

with rapid negative effects on local

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

s. In other parts of the United States it is used as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

for its "tropical"-looking foliage.

Description

This relative of the

poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, ''Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug opi ...

is a

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

growing up to 6 metres tall. It yields a bitter yellow or orange latex sap.''Bocconia frutescens''.
From Motooka, P., et al. (2003). ''Weeds of Hawai‘i’s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide''. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.
Hawaii Biodiversity Information Network. The leaves are up to 45 cm long by 20 wide and the blades are divided into deep lobes. There are many leaves toward the ends of the branches. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a branching

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

up to 60 centimeters long. The purple-green flower lacks petals but has

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s each up to a centimetre long. The

anthers The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

dangle from the flower center by their filaments. The fruit is a capsule about 1.2 cm long containing yellowish pulp and a single black seed half-sheathed in a bright red

aril An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...

Ecology

This plant is capable of thriving in many types of habitat. In its native range it grows in dry, moist, and wet forests on many soil types. It is known from

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...

s and several types of disturbed and degraded habitat. It is not, however, tolerant of dense shade. The seeds of the plant are generally dispersed by birds, which are attracted to the pulpy fruits. In Hawaii, the

Japanese white-eye The warbling white-eye (''Zosterops japonicus''), also known as the Japanese white-eye and mountain white-eye, is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. The specific epithet is occasionally written ''japonica'', but this is incorrect due ...

(''Zosterops japonicus'') is a common visitor to the plant. In its native range it is also an important plant for various birds.

Relationship with humans

There are a number of human uses for this species, such as its use for ornamental purposes. It also has a variety of

medicinal Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

uses. In Mexico it has been used to treat skin conditions and

respiratory tract infection Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are infectious diseases involving the respiratory tract. An infection of this type usually is further classified as an upper respiratory tract infection (URI or URTI) or a lower respiratory tract infection (LRI ...

s. A laboratory study confirmed that extracts of the plant had antimicrobial action against the human pathogens ''

Escherichia coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...

'', ''

Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive ...

'', and ''

Pseudomonas aeruginosa ''Pseudomonas aeruginosa'' is a common encapsulated, gram-negative, aerobic–facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that can cause disease in plants and animals, including humans. A species of considerable medical importance, ''P. aerugi ...

'', as well as ''

Bacillus subtilis ''Bacillus subtilis'', known also as the hay bacillus or grass bacillus, is a Gram-positive, catalase-positive bacterium, found in soil and the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants, humans and marine sponges. As a member of the genus ''Bacillu ...

''. If the leaf is heated and applied to a wound it is said to provide pain relief. The plant can also be used as a

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...

. This plant grows quickly and is a prolific producer of seeds. It was introduced to Hawaii as a garden plant around 1920, and it promptly spread to the surrounding forests and other wild habitat. It is a problem on two of the Hawaiian islands,

and

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

. At one spot on Hawaii it moved from the local landscaping and soon covered over 3500 acres of abandoned agricultural fields. It is a common weed of other crop fields nearby. It easily invades

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...

plantations and areas of forest already dominated by non-native trees and shrubs. It is a weed of roadsides, vacant lots, and residential areas.Benitez, D. M. and D. Saulibio. (2007)
''Bocconia frutescens'' Distribution on the Island of Hawai'i.
Technical Report 144. Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit. University of Hawaii at Manoa. It is tolerant of Hawaii's

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

soils. On Maui it has been observed at

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...

s near 5800 feet. It is one of the noxious plants posing a threat to the native and rare flora of Kanaio Natural Area Reserve. The plant is thick and bushy, producing multiple stems at times and spreading densely to produce "carpets" that shade out smaller plants. Native species negatively affected include '' Melicope adscendens'', '' Alectryon macrococcus'', ''

Bonamia menziesii ''Bonamia menziesii'', commonly known as Hawaii lady's nightcap, is a species of flowering plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is a vine or twisting liana with branches that can reach in length. Haw ...

'', ''

Cenchrus agrimonioides ''Cenchrus agrimonioides'' is a rare species of grass in the family Poaceae that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Its common names include Kāmanomano and agrimony sandbur. It was formerly distributed throughout the major islands but today i ...

'', '' Flueggea neowawraea'', ''

Melicope knudsenii ''Melicope knudsenii'', commonly known as Olokele Valley melicope or Knudsen's melicope, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae, that is Endemism, endemic to Hawaii. It inhabits montane Hawaiian tropical rainforests#Mixed mesic fo ...

'', ''

Santalum freycinetianum ''Santalum freycinetianum'', the forest sandalwood, Freycinet sandalwood, or ''Iliahi'', is a species of flowering tree in the European mistletoe family, Santalaceae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Its binomial name commemorates Henri ...

'' var. ''lanaiense'', and ''

Nothocestrum latifolium ''Nothocestrum latifolium'', commonly known as broadleaf aiea, is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It can be found in dry and mesic forests at elevations of on the islands of Maui, M ...

'', a host plant of the federally endangered Blackburn’s sphinx moth (''Manduca blackburni'').

Herbicide Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weedkillers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page fo ...

s are a commonly recommended method of control for this species, particularly

triclopyr Triclopyr (3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyloxyacetic acid) is an organic compound in the pyridine group that is used as a systemic foliar herbicide and fungicide. Uses Triclopyr is used to control broadleaf weeds while leaving grasses and conifers ...

. Small seedlings can be pulled by hand; larger seedlings root firmly and break if pulled, resprouting soon after. Effective control is difficult because of the plant's ability to sprout back up after being cleared off the land. Heavy machinery should be cleaned after digging in infested areas to prevent the transfer of seeds. Aerial monitoring of vulnerable areas is also recommended.

References

External links

Photos: ''Bocconia frutescens''.
Starr Environmental - Plants of Hawaii.
Photos: ''Bocconia frutescens''.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. {{Taxonbar, from=Q5730997 Papaveroideae Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus