Breynia disticha
(snowbush)

Preferred Common Name

• snowbush

Other Scientific Names

• Breynia axillaris Spreng.
• Breynia nivosa (W.Bull) Small
• Melanthesa neocaledonica Baill.
• Phyllanthus nivosus W.Bull
• Phyllanthus nivosus W.G.Sm.

International Common Names

• English: calico plant; dwarf snowbush; dwarf snowflake bonsai; foliage-flower; Hawaiian-leaf flower; ice plant; leaf flower; leaf-flower of the Pacific Islands; old man’s beard; snowbush breynia; snow-on-the-mountain; summer snow; sweet pea bush
• Spanish: breynia; arbol de nieve; breina
• French: la neige
• Portuguese: filanto
• German: Schneebush

Local Common Names

• Bahamas: snowbush
• Bolivia: arbolito de navidad
• British Indian Ocean Territory: snow bush
• Cook Islands: kāpaiē; kāvaiē; maemae
• Cuba: copo de nieve; escarchada; nevada; nieve
• Dominica: snow-bush
• Dominican Republic: carnaval; nevado
• Ecuador: arbolito de navidada
• Finland: hiutalepensas
• Haiti: neige
• Japan: takasago-koban-no-li
• Micronesia/Pohnpei: katuk
• Nauru: eomonon
• New Caledonia: drem
• Puerto Rico: carnaval
• Sweden: snöflingebuske
• Tonga: pepe
• USA: Hawaiian snow bush; rosy snow bush; snow bush
• Zimbabwe: snow bush

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Euphorbiales
•                         Family: Euphorbiaceae
•                             Genus: Breynia
•                                 Species: Breynia disticha

The genus Breynia, named after Jacob Breyne (Quattrocchi, 1999), includes about 35 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands (Kawakita and Kato, 2004). The genus is conserved against the one published by Linnaeus, which is recognised as a synonym of Capparis (St. John, 1957).

Breynia and other related genera were formerly included in the Euphorbiaceae, but molecular, embryological and morphological data justified the split of the family into Euphorbiaceae s.s., Phyllanthaceae and Picrodendraceae (The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, 2003). Molecular studies concluded that Breynia is nested within the genus Phyllanthus, along with Glochidion, Reverchonia and Sauropus (Wagner and Lorence, 2011; Welzen et al., 2014). Wagner and Laurence (2011) recommended the change of the embedded genera into Phyllanthus, proposing new combinations for the Glochidion of New Zealand. Welzen et al. (2014) advocated against these changes reasoning that an enlarged ‘giant’ Phyllanthus of about 1,300 species would be difficult to work with and needed a considerable amount of new combinations. This report follows The Plant List (2017), which at present recognises Breynia as a distinct genus from Phyllanthus.

The following description is from PIER (2017):

Monoecious shrubs or small trees, glabrous throughout, the stipules small; leaves along main branches spirally arranged and reduced, distichous along ultimate branchlets, short-petiolate, simple, the blades entire; inflorescences axillary, the lower axils bearing fascicles of 3-many male flowers, the higher axils bearing solitary female flowers, the flowers lacking petals and disk; male flowers with the calyx fleshy, obovoid-turbinate, shortly 6-lobed, the stamens 3, the filaments connate into a column bearing 2-locular anthers apically, these not apiculate; female flowers with the calyx campanulate to cupuliform, 6-lobed or "toothed, persistent and sometimes accrescent, the ovary 3-locular, the walls thickened distally, each locule with 2 ovules, the stigmas small, subulate-dentiform, incurved; fruit a capsule dehiscing into 2-seeded cocci, the seeds with a somewhat fleshy testa, ventrally invaginated.

B. disticha is a shrub to small tree native from New Caledonia and Vanuatu. It has been introduced elsewhere, as an ornamental and a hedge plant, because of its attractive leaf colouration (Dave’s Garden, 2017; Flora of North America Editorial Committee, 2017; PROTA, 2017). There are reports of the species being present in Cuba since 1904, and at other islands if the Caribbean since the early 1900’s (NMNH, 2017; NYBG, 2017). It was collected at Florida-USA near Miami in 1904 (Small, 1910). Gilman (2014) reported that B. disticha could be planted successfully in the southern parts of California, Florida and Arizona in USA.

In some countries, it is naturalised and spreading aggressively and profusely near areas where cultivated by root suckers (PIER, 2017; Wildlife of Hawaii, 2017). Cheek et al. (2013) consider that there is a high risk that the species will spread by bird dispersion from Guinea to Sierra Leone and from there into all tropical Africa.

Soil drainage

• free

Soil reaction

• acid
• alkaline
• neutral

Soil texture

• heavy
• light
• medium

Special soil tolerances

• saline

Natural Dispersal

B. disticha can spread quickly in damp soils, mainly from root suckers (Dave’s Garden, 2017).

Vector Transmission (Biotic)

B. disticha is reported as being dispersed by birds in Guinea by Cheek et al. (2013).

Intentional Introduction

The species is being used as an ornamental worldwide (Dave’s Garden, 2017).

Impact on Habitats

B. disticha is regarded in Cuba as a transformer species, causing changes in the habitats, without further details (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012). It is growing near an intact forest in Guinea, which contains rare and endangered species (Cheek et al., 2013).

Impact on Biodiversity

B. disticha is spreading profusely near areas where cultivated at Hawaii-USA. Although no further details are given, it is highly likely the species is impacting the habitats and the native vegetation (Wildlife of Hawaii, 2017). The species’ ability to colonise and persist in secondary forests is a concern in Africa, as it could threaten native species by outcompeting and displacing them (Cheek et al., 2013). It is found only 200 m from an intact forest in Guinea, that contains rare species and the endangered Tarenna hutchinsonii.

• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Pioneering in disturbed areas
• Tolerant of shade
• Fast growing
• Has high reproductive potential
• Reproduces asexually

• Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
• Threat to/ loss of endangered species
• Threat to/ loss of native species

• Competition - monopolizing resources
• Rapid growth

• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately

Economic Value

B. disticha, especially in its variegated form, is used extensively as an ornamental and a hedge plant (Useful Tropical Plants; 2017).

Social Benefit

B. disticha recommended uses are as an ornamental, in hedges, as potted plants for indoor areas, as a border, and cascading down walls (Gilman, 2014). It is not suitable for temperate areas, where it needs to be placed indoors during the winter (Dave’s Garden, 2017). It is also used as a bonsai (PROTA, 2017).

It is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria, headaches, toothaches and tooth infections (Okokon et al., 2015, 2017). Extracts of the species have shown blood glucose lowering activities (Ezekwesili and Ogbunugafor, 2015). The species also have reported antioxidant, antimicrobial, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities (Okokon et al., 2015; Sulayman and Tougeer, 2015).

Environmental Services

Species of Breynia, including B. disticha, have pollination mutualistic relationships with Epicephala species. The female moths have evolved specialised proboscides to collect and transport pollen between flowers. They lay eggs in the flowers and the larvae feed on some of the developing seeds (Kawakita and Kato, 2009). B. disticha is also reported as a caterpillar food plant, but no further details are provided (Flora and Fauna Web, 2017).