Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree)

Pictures

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Picture

Title

Caption

Copyright

Flowering habit

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree); flowers , buds and foliage. Hamakua Coast, Hawaii, Hawaii, USA. July 2012.

©Forest & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0

Flowers and foliage

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree); flowers and foliage. Hamakua Coast, Hawaii, Hawaii, USA. July 2012.

©Forest & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0

Habit

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree); flowering habit. Hana Hwy, Maui, Hawaii, USA. June 2009.

©Forest & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0

Flowering habit

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree); flowering habit. Kopiliula, Maui, Hawaii, USA. July 2004.

©Forest & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0

Flowering habit

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree); flowering habit., yellow morph. Kula, Maui, Hawaii, USA. May 2009.

©Forest & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0

Seed pods

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree); flowers, buds and seed pods. Paia, Maui, Hawaii, USA. November 2013.

©Forest & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0

Invasive habit

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree); invasive habit. Hana Hwy, Maui, Hawaii, USA. June 2009.

©Forest & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0

Habit

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree); habit.

©K.M. Kochummen

Bole

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree); trunk and bark.

©K.M. Kochummen

Identity

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Preferred Scientific Name

Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv.

Preferred Common Name

African tulip tree

Other Scientific Names

Bignonia tulipifera Schum.
Spathodea campanulata susp. congolana Bidgood
Spathodea campanulata susp. nilotica (Seem.) Bidgood
Spathodea danckelmaniana Büttner
Spathodea nilotica Seem.
Spathodea nilotica f. bryanii O. Deg. & I. Deg.
Spathodea tulipifera (Schum.) G. Don

International Common Names

English: fireball; flame of the forest; Flame tree; fountain tree; Gabon tulip tree; Nandi flame; Nile flame; squirt tree; tulip tree; Uganda flame
Spanish: amapola; espatodea; galeana; gallito; llama del bosque; llama Nandi; mampolo; meaito; miona; tulipán Africano; tulipanero
French: baton du sorcier; flamme de la forêt; immortel étranger; pissat de singe; pisse l'eau; pisse-pisse; tulipier d'Afrique; tulipier du Gabon

Local Common Names

Brazil: arvore-da-bisnaga; bisnagueira; espadódea; sejagan; tulipa-da-áfrica; tulipeiro-da-áfrica; tulipero-africano
China: neerukayi maru (Cantonese)
Cook Islands: mata koii; mimi; patati vai; pititi vai
Fiji: taga mimi
Germany: Afrikanischer Tulpenbaum; Tulpenbaum, Afrikanischer
India: Nandi flame; patadi (Tamil); Rugtoora (Hindi)
Kenya: kibobakasi (Swahili)
Malaysia: panchut-panchut
Mexico: tulipero de Gabón
Micronesia, Federated states of: dulip en Aprika (Pohnpei); ramingobchey; tuhke dulip
Palau: orsachel kui
Samoa: fa'apasi
Spain: tulipanero de Gabón
Sri Lanka: kudaella gaha (Sinhala); kudulu; patadi (Tamil)
Tonga: tiale akapisipisi; tiulipe
Uganda: kibobakasi; kifabakazi; sebetaiyet

EPPO code

SPOCA (Spathodea campanulata)

Summary of Invasiveness

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S. campanulata is widely and commonly known as the African tulip tree, and has been introduced pan-tropically for its ornamental value. However, profuse fruiting and the masses of wind-dispersed seeds means that only a few trees can begin a process of invasion, and suckering ensures that it is difficult to remove by standard cutting methods. It is invasive in many countries, mostly tropical islands in the Pacific, Indian and Caribbean, but also Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Removal of trees is highly recommended, particularly when they are in close proximity to natural vegetation or waterways.

Taxonomic Tree

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Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Dicotyledonae
Order: Scrophulariales
Family: Bignoniaceae
Genus: Spathodea
Species: Spathodea campanulata

Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature

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Some consider Spathodea as a monospecific genus with Spathodea campanulata as the only species, whereas others include S. obvata Kunth as a second species (e.g. USDA-ARS, 2008). The only recorded synonym for S. campanulata is S. nilotica from the extreme east of the native range in Uganda, and it may be sufficiently distinct to merit varietal status. will There are clearly morphological similarities with many other genera, as Spathodea spp. are recorded as synonyms for species belonging to a range of genera including Dolichandrone, Halophragma, Markhamia, Newbouldia, Phryganocydia, Radermachera and Tabebuia.

Description

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S. campanulata is a medium-size to large tree up to 35 m tall and 175 cm in diameter. It has a stout and sometimes buttressed trunk, thick branches spotted with small white lenticels. Leaves are usually opposite (rarely 3 at a node), very widely diverging, up to 50 cm long, (7-) 11-15 (-17) leaflets broadly elliptic or ovate, entire, to 15 x 7.5 cm, with 7-8 principal veins on each side, puberulent and prominent beneath, apex very slightly acuminate, base somewhat asymmetrically obtuse, lower leaflets tending to be reflexed, petiolule short, 2-3 mm, rachis nearly straight, brownish-puberulent, petiole up to 6 cm long, thickened at base. Raceme are 8-10 cm long on a peduncle of about the same length, with a pair of reduced leaves about halfway up, rachis and pedicels thick, brownish puberulent, bracts subtending pedicels lanceolate, curved, about 1 cm long, caducous, pair of bractlets near summit of pedicel similar, opposite; calyx strongly curved upward, asymmetric, about 5 cm long, tapering, somewhat ribbed, splitting at anthesis to within a few mm of base along dorsal curve, apex horn-like, blunt, exterior brownish sericeous puberulent; corolla bright vermilion or scarlet, 10-12 cm long, mouth of limb about 7 cm across, lobes about 3 cm long, obtuse, margins strongly crispate, orange-yellow; filaments about 5 cm long, dull orange anthers arcuate, linear, very dark brown, 15 mm long; style yellow, 8 cm long, stigma reddish. Fruit capsules are lanceolate, slightly compressed, 17-25 x 3.5-7 cm (adapted from PIER, 2008).

Plant Type

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Broadleaved
Perennial
Seed propagated
Tree
Vegetatively propagated
Woody

Distribution

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Spathodea campanulata is indigenous to Africa with a native range that extends along the west coast from Guinea to Angola, and inland across the tropical rainforest region to southern Sudan and Uganda; however, the exact limits are uncertain, and nativity in neighbouring countries is possible, or it could have been introduced in the extremes of this range. Several reports (e.g. ICRAF, 2008) suggest a more restricted native range to the west, only as far as Ghana, and stretching further at the eastern extreme to include Ethiopia to Zambia, and the broader range is accepted here.

Distribution Table

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The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

Last updated: 17 Feb 2021

Continent/Country/Region	Distribution	Origin	First Reported	Invasive	Planted	Reference	Notes
Africa
Angola	Present	Native			Planted	USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Benin	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Burundi	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Cabo Verde	Present	Introduced				Diniz (1996)
Cameroon	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Central African Republic	Present	Native				Govaerts (2013)
Comoros	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2013)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Congo, Republic of the	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Côte d'Ivoire	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Egypt	Present	Introduced				Nazif (2007)
Equatorial Guinea	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Eswatini	Present	Introduced			Planted	Amusan et al. (1995)
Ghana	Present	Native			Planted	USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Guinea	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Kenya	Present	Native				ICRAF (2008)
Liberia	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Madagascar	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Malawi	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Mayotte	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2013)
Nigeria	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Réunion	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
Rwanda	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Senegal	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Seychelles	Present	Introduced		Naturalized		USA, USDA-ARS (2008) PIER (2008)	Naturalised
Sierra Leone	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
South Africa	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Sudan	Present	Native				ICRAF (2008)
Tanzania	Present	Native				ICRAF (2008)
-Zanzibar Island	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
Togo	Present	Native				USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Uganda	Present	Native				ICRAF (2008) Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Zambia	Present	Native				ICRAF (2008)
Asia
Bangladesh	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
Brunei	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
China	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Hong Kong	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
India	Present	Introduced				CABI (Undated)	First reported: 1880s; Original citation: Rangaiah et al. (2004, publ. 2006)
-Andhra Pradesh	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Delhi	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Karnataka	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Tamil Nadu	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Uttar Pradesh	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-West Bengal	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
Indonesia	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008) CABI (2005)
-Irian Jaya	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Java	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Maluku Islands	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Sulawesi	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Sumatra	Present	Introduced			Planted	Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Malaysia	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
-Peninsular Malaysia	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Sabah	Present				Planted	CABI (2005)
-Sarawak	Present	Introduced			Planted	Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Singapore	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Planted	PIER (2008)	First reported: 1910s
Sri Lanka	Present	Introduced	1873		Planted	Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Thailand	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Europe
Spain	Present	Introduced				Sanchez (2001)	Planted as ornamental
-Canary Islands	Present	Introduced			Planted	La-Serna Ramos et al. (1991) Sanchez (2001)
North America
Bahamas	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Kairo et al. (2003)
Barbados	Present	Introduced				Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong (2012)
Belize	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
British Virgin Islands	Present	Introduced				Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong (2012)	Tortola and Virgin Gorda
Cayman Islands	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Costa Rica	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Planted	Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Cuba	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Díaz Medina et al. (2004) Kairo et al. (2003)	Guamuhaya Mountains
Dominican Republic	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Kairo et al. (2003) Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
El Salvador	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Guatemala	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Haiti	Present	Introduced				Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong (2012)
Honduras	Present	Introduced				Govaerts (2013)
Jamaica	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Planted	Kairo et al. (2003)	Listed as one of the 100 worst invasive species on the island
Mexico	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Netherlands Antilles	Present	Introduced				Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong (2012)	Saba
Nicaragua	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Panama	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Puerto Rico	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Planted	USA, USDA-NRCS (2008) Kairo et al. (2003) Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Saint Lucia	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Graveson (2012) Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong (2012)	Spreading along Union River and elsewhere; potential threat to semi-evergreen seasonal forest
Trinidad and Tobago	Present					Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
U.S. Virgin Islands	Present	Introduced		Invasive		USA, USDA-NRCS (2008)
United States	Present, Localized	Introduced				USA, USDA-NRCS (2008)
-California	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
-Florida	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008) USA, USDA-NRCS (2008)
-Hawaii	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008) USA, USDA-ARS (2008)
Oceania
American Samoa	Present	Introduced				PIER (2008)
Australia	Present, Localized	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
-Northern Territory	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
-Queensland	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
-Victoria	Present	Introduced				Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (2008)
Christmas Island	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008) CABI (Undated)
Cook Islands	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Meyer (2004) PIER (2008)
Federated States of Micronesia	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008) Englberger (2009)	Invasive in Pohnpei. Also found in Chuuk and Yap
Fiji	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Auld and Nagatalevu-Seniloli (2003) PIER (2008)
French Polynesia	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Meyer (2004) PIER (2008) Larrue et al. (2016)
-Marquesas Islands	Present	Introduced				Englberger (2009)
Guam	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Planted	PIER (2008) McConnell and Muniappan (1991)
Kiribati	Present	Introduced				PIER (2008)
Marshall Islands	Present	Introduced				PIER (2008)
Nauru	Present	Introduced				PIER (2008)
New Caledonia	Present	Introduced				PIER (2008)
Niue	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
Northern Mariana Islands	Present	Introduced				PIER (2008)
Palau	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
Papua New Guinea	Present	Introduced		Invasive		Bito (2007)
Samoa	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
Tonga	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
Vanuatu	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
Wallis and Futuna	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
South America
Bolivia	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Brazil	Present	Introduced			Planted	Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
-Bahia	Present	Introduced		Invasive		I3N-Brasil (2013)
-Paraiba	Present	Introduced		Invasive		I3N-Brasil (2013)
-Parana	Present	Introduced		Invasive		I3N-Brasil (2013)
-Pernambuco	Present	Introduced		Invasive		I3N-Brasil (2013)
-Rio de Janeiro	Present	Introduced		Invasive		I3N-Brasil (2013)
-Rio Grande do Norte	Present	Introduced		Invasive		I3N-Brasil (2013)
-Rio Grande do Sul	Present	Introduced		Invasive		I3N-Brasil (2013)
-Sao Paulo	Present	Introduced		Invasive		I3N-Brasil (2013)
Colombia	Present	Introduced			Planted	Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Ecuador	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
-Galapagos Islands	Present	Introduced		Invasive		PIER (2008)
French Guiana	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Paraguay	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Peru	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)
Venezuela	Present	Introduced				Missouri Botanical Garden (2008)

History of Introduction and Spread

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S. campanulata has been successfully planted as an ornamental throughout the humid tropics, and its actual distribution is likely to be more widespread than indicated in this datasheet. Introduction to South Asia occurred at the end of the 1800s and other introductions may have been as old. It is now recorded as invasive in Hawaii, USA, and many other Pacific islands, also Australia, Singapore, Christmas Island and Reunion, and several Caribbean islands including the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Risk of Introduction

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As a popular ornamental tree it is highly likely to be further introduced intentionally, and to be spread nationally as planting stock. It is regulated in Queensland, Australia where it is a Declared Class 3 invasive weed (Biosecurity Queensland, 2007), and S. campanulata also received a high score in a Pacific islands weed risk assessment (PIER, 2008). Where present, areas most at risk include riversides, valleys and disturbed humid forest.

Habitat

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S. campanulata grows naturally in secondary forests in the high forest zone and in deciduous transition and savannah forests. In Pohnpei it favours wet areas (Englberger, 2009). It may also appear as a pioneer species in the native range, such as it being one of the species that naturally colonizes grasslands in Uganda. Where introduced, it invades both abandoned agricultural land and closed forest, and has become a weed in abandoned pasture sites in Puerto Rico where it may become dominant (Rivera and Aide, 1998), and is a weed in coffee plantations in Cuba (Herrera-Isla et al., 2002), and is highly invasive in Tahiti, French Polynesia in cloud forests up to 1300 m (PIER, 2008).

Habitat List

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Category	Sub-Category	Habitat	Presence	Status
Terrestrial
Terrestrial	Managed	Cultivated / agricultural land	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Managed	Managed forests, plantations and orchards	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Managed	Managed grasslands (grazing systems)	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Managed	Rail / roadsides	Present, no further details	Productive/non-natural
Terrestrial	Managed	Urban / peri-urban areas	Present, no further details	Productive/non-natural
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Natural forests	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Natural forests	Present, no further details	Natural
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Natural grasslands	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Natural grasslands	Present, no further details	Natural
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Riverbanks	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Riverbanks	Present, no further details	Natural
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Scrub / shrublands	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Scrub / shrublands	Present, no further details	Natural
Littoral		Coastal areas	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Littoral		Coastal areas	Present, no further details	Natural

Biology and Ecology

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Reproductive Biology

S. campanulata flowers and fruits during the dry season in some regions, for 5-6 months a year though, or in others it will flower all year round. It may begin flowering when 3-4 years old in favourable sites. It is an obligate outcrosser (Bittencourt et al., 2003). It also requires pollinators for pollen flow between conspecific trees, and flowers show a combination of bird and bat floral characteristics suggesting that the flowers are in transitional stage from bat- to bird-pollination though birds were the exclusive pollinators, receiving calyx water and nectar as rewards (Rangaiah et al., 2006). Bees also use the floral rewards but they tend to stay on the same tree day-long and effect self-pollination which is not functional in S. campanulata, and also, trigona bees die in the calyx water and/or nectar becoming a solid bee diet to visiting birds. PIER (2008) quote a personal communication from Jean-Yves Meyer, that “The African tulip tree didn't produce fruits (and their wind-dispersed seeds) in La Réunion for a long time...before the endemic Zosterops (a small songbird) started to visit and pollinate the flowers a few years ago. The African tulip tree is now starting to naturalize in La Réunion.” Natural fruit set is very low but it is compensated by large seed crop. The fruit is a capsule and dehisces naturally when mature, releasing small, light and winged seeds into the ambient air, dispersal taking place effectively by wind during dry season (Rangaiah et al., 2006). Also, a large numbers of the seeds are viable, and as the trees flowers year round in Cuba the chances for spread are very high (Diaz-Medina et al., 2004).

Physiology and Phenology

Assessment of seed germination showed that the highest percentages occurred under semi-shade and the lowest under full sunshine, and although an insect species attacks seedlings growing in full shade in Cuba, even under these conditions germination rates were high (Diaz-Medina et al., 2004).

Environmental Requirements

S. campanulata is a tropical tree suited to humid conditions and grows well in areas with an even distribution of rainfall, though it will tolerate a dry season of up to six months. It grows on a wide variety of sites, from poorly to excessively drained, but prefers fertile, deep and well-drained loams.

Climate

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Climate	Status	Description
A - Tropical/Megathermal climate	Preferred	Average temp. of coolest month > 18°C, > 1500mm precipitation annually
Af - Tropical rainforest climate	Preferred	> 60mm precipitation per month
Am - Tropical monsoon climate	Preferred	Tropical monsoon climate ( < 60mm precipitation driest month but > (100 - [total annual precipitation(mm}/25]))
As - Tropical savanna climate with dry summer	Preferred	< 60mm precipitation driest month (in summer) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25])
Aw - Tropical wet and dry savanna climate	Preferred	< 60mm precipitation driest month (in winter) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25])

Latitude/Altitude Ranges

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Latitude North (°N)	Latitude South (°S)	Altitude Lower (m)	Altitude Upper (m)
12	-12	0	1200

Air Temperature

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Parameter	Lower limit	Upper limit
Absolute minimum temperature (ºC)	5
Mean annual temperature (ºC)	26	31
Mean maximum temperature of hottest month (ºC)	28	33
Mean minimum temperature of coldest month (ºC)	12	31

Rainfall

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Parameter	Lower limit	Upper limit	Description
Dry season duration	0	6	number of consecutive months with <40 mm rainfall
Mean annual rainfall	1000	3600	mm; lower/upper limits

Rainfall Regime

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Bimodal
Uniform

Soil Tolerances

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Soil drainage

free
impeded

Soil reaction

acid
alkaline
neutral

Soil texture

heavy
light
medium

Special soil tolerances

infertile
shallow

Notes on Natural Enemies

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S. campanulata is susceptible to a wide range of insect pests, and heart and butt-rot fungi. In Papua New Guinea, Bito (2007) observed that it was colonized by 54 folivorous species of Lepidoptera, most generalists feeding on more than one native plant family, though the three most abundant species represented 83% of all individuals (Acherontia lachesis, Hyblaea puera complex and Psilogramma menephron) were relatively host specific, and most of the 23 species analysed in detail had a wide geographic distribution, including 13 species spanning the entire 1000-km study transect (Bito, 2007).

Means of Movement and Dispersal

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S. campanulata is wind-dispersed, the light winged seeds being able to travel long distances if uninterrupted. This means that local spread can be rapid. However, long-distance introduction has been entirely intentional, as an ornamental tree, and once in a country it will have been planted widely for its aesthetic value.

Pathway Causes

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Cause	Long Distance	References
Forestry	Yes	ICRAF (2008)
Nursery trade	Yes	ICRAF (2008)
Ornamental purposes	Yes	ICRAF (2008)

Pathway Vectors

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Vector	Notes	Long Distance	Local	References
Wind			Yes	ICRAF (2008)

Impact Summary

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Category	Impact
Cultural/amenity	Positive
Economic/livelihood	Positive and negative
Environment (generally)	Positive and negative
Human health	Positive

Economic Impact

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Spathodea campanulata is a weed in coffee plantations in Cuba (Herrera-Isla et al., 2002), thus having a negative economic impact. As an important and valuable ornamental, however, it must have a positive impact in terms of sales.

Environmental Impact

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S. campanulata forms thickets which can shade and out-compete surrounding plants, including trees. It is spreading rapidly on many Pacific islands, where it invades disturbed areas, abandoned agricultural land and native forests (Englberger, 2009).

Risk and Impact Factors

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Invasiveness

Proved invasive outside its native range
Has a broad native range
Abundant in its native range
Pioneering in disturbed areas
Tolerant of shade
Highly mobile locally
Long lived
Fast growing
Has high reproductive potential
Reproduces asexually

Impact outcomes

Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
Modification of successional patterns
Monoculture formation
Negatively impacts agriculture
Threat to/ loss of native species

Impact mechanisms

Competition - monopolizing resources
Competition - shading
Rapid growth

Likelihood of entry/control

Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately
Difficult/costly to control

Uses

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Spathodea campanulata can rehabilitate degraded land through its rapid growth. The wood is creamy-white, soft and light; it is suitable for rough carpentry, crates and shuttering. The seeds are used as food in Africa, and plant extracts are used in African traditional medicine. A poison used to kill animals is extracted from the hard central portion of the fruit. However, its main use is as an ornamental tree. However, it is sometimes not recommended as a street tree as the heavy branches have a tendency to break in wind and can pose a risk to those underneath. It has also limited value as a fodder.

Uses List

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Animal feed, fodder, forage

Fodder/animal feed

Environmental

Agroforestry
Amenity
Boundary, barrier or support
Revegetation

Fuels

Fuelwood

General

Ornamental

Materials

Wood/timber

Medicinal, pharmaceutical

Source of medicine/pharmaceutical
Traditional/folklore

Wood Products

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Containers

Crates

Sawn or hewn building timbers

Carpentry/joinery (exterior/interior)
For light construction

Wood-based materials

Wood cement

Similarities to Other Species/Conditions

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There are many red or bright-orange-flowered ornamental trees in the tropics and an unaccustomed observer may confuse it at first with species such as Kigelia africana, though the differences become clear with a little study.

Prevention and Control

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Due to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product's label.

Control

Physical/mechanical control

Young S. campanulata trees can be dug out or hand pulled when the soil is moist (Biosecurity Queensland, 2007), though the ability to sucker from the roots means that all the root mass must be removed or they will regrow. This also means that physicial control is not feasible for controlling older trees.

Biological control

Where S. campanulata is a weed in coffee plantations in Cuba, trees of various sizes were inoculated with Ceratocystis using a mechanical borer impregnated with mycelia and reproductive structures, and the smallest trees died first with fungal incubation periods of 22-33 days, and it was concluded that this method could be used for weed control (Herrera-Isla et al., 2002).

Chemical control

Due to their ability to sucker, stumps of felled trees need to be treated with herbicide, and registered herbicides in Queensland, Australia for controlling S. campanulata are triclopyr + picloram as a stump treatment, and triclopyr + picloram or glyphosate for stem injection (Biosecurity Queensland, 2007). S. campanulata is the subject of an eradication program in Palau incorporating chemical control (see PIER, 2008). For large trees, Englberger (2009) recommends cutting notches 2-2.5 cm deep into the cambium around the stem and spraying undiluted triclopyr or glyphosphate into these notches.

References

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Acevedo-Rodríguez P; Strong MT, 2012. Catalogue of the Seed Plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 98:1192 pp. Washington DC, USA: Smithsonian Institution. http://botany.si.edu/Antilles/WestIndies/catalog.htm

Amihan JB, 1959. A study on the survival of African Tulip (Spathodea campanulata Beauv.) cuttings in relation to their diameters. Philipp. J. For. 15 (1/4), (1962), (135-49 + 4 plates). 9 refs.

Amusan OOG; Adesogan EK; Makinde JM, 1996. Antimalarial active principles of Spathodea campanulata stem bark. Phytotherapy Research, 10(8):692-693; 14 ref.

Amusan OOG; Msonthi JD; Makhubu LP, 1995. Molluscicidal activity of Spathodea campanulata, Andrachne ovalis, Phytolacca dodecandra and Hypoxis rooperi. Fitoterapia, 66(2):113-116.

Auld BA; Nagatalevu-Seniloli M, 2003. African tulip tree in the Fijian islands. FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper, No.120(Add.1):63-65.

Backer CA; Brink RC-Bakhuizen-Van-Den; Jr, 1963. Flora of Java (Spermatophytes only). Vol. 1 : Gymnospermae, families 1-7; Angiospermae, families 8-110. Vol. II: Angiospermae, families 111-190. Vol. III: Angiospermae, families 191-238; addenda et corrigenda; general index to volumes I-III. N. V. P. Noordhoff, Groningen, Netherlands. 1963-1968 pp. xxiii + 648; 72 + 641; 761.

Benthal AP, 1946. The Trees of Calcutta and its neighbourhood. Calcutta, India: Thacker Spink & Co. Ltd. 513 p.

Biosecurity Queensland, 2007. African tulip, Spathodea campanulata. Fact sheet, invasive plants and animals, PP64., Australia: Biosecurity Queensland, 2 pp. http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xbcr/dpi/IPA-African-Tulip-PP64.pdf

Bito D, 2007. An alien in an archipelago: Spathodea campanulata and the geographic variability of its moth (Lepidoptera) communities in the New Guinea and Bismarck Islands. Journal of Biogeography, 34(5):769-778. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/jbi

Bittencourt Júnior NS; Gibbs PE; Semir J, 2003. Histological study of post-pollination events in Spathodea campanulata Beauv. (Bignoniaceae), a species with late-acting self-incompatibility. Annals of Botany, 91(7):827-834.

Burkill IH, 1966. A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula, 2(2nd edition):2444 pp.

CABI, 2005. Forestry Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CABI.

DAISIE, 2013. Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe. DAISIE (online). www.europe-aliens.org

Díaz Medina A; Grillo Ravelo H; Âlvarez Puente RJ; Herrera Isla L; Echemendía Alfonso Y, 2004. Spathodea campanulata Beauv., an invasive species in the Guamuhaya mountains, Cuba. Ecology and distribution. (Spathodea campanulata Beauv., especie invasora en el macizo Guamuhaya. Ecológía y distribución.) In: III Congreso 2004 Sociedad Cubana de Malezología, Memorias, Jardín Botánico Nacional, Ciudad Habana, 28, 29 y 30 de abril del 2004. Wimauma, USA: Asociación Latinoamericana de Malezas, 104-107.

Diniz MA, 1996. Cape Verde flora. Vascular plants. 85. Bignoniaceae. (Flora de Cabo Verde. Plantas Vasculares. 85. Bignoniaceae.) Flora de Cabo Verde, No. 85. Lisboa, Portugal: Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, 14 pp.

Eggeling WJ, 1940. The indigenous trees of Uganda. Govt. Printer, Entebbe, Uganda. 1940. pp. xxii + 296.

Englberger K, 2009. Invasive weeds of Pohnpei: A guide for identification and public awareness. Kolonia, Federated States of Micronesia: Conservation Society of Pohnpei, 29 pp.

Govaerts R, 2013. World Checklist of Myrtaceae. London, UK: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/

Graveson R, 2012. The Plants of Saint Lucia (in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean). The Plants of Saint Lucia (in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean). http://www.saintlucianplants.com

Herrera Isla L; Brice L; Grillo Ravelo H, 2002. Methodology for the artificial inoculation with Ceratocystis sp. for the control of Spathodea campanulata Beauv. (Metodología para la inoculación artificial de Ceratocystis sp. para el control de Spathodea campanulata Beauv.) Centro Agrícola, 29(3):56-58.

Holdridge LR, 1942. Trees of Puerto Rico. Volumes I and II. Occ. Pap. U.S. trop For. Exp. Sta. No. 1, 2 pp. 105 + 105.

I3N-Brasil, 2013. Invasive alien species database. Florianópolis - SC, Brazil: Horus Institute for Environmental Conservation and Development. http://i3n.institutohorus.org.br

ICRAF, 2008. Spathodea campanulata. Agroforestree Database. Kenya: World Agroforestry Centre. http://www.worldagroforestry.org/Sites/TreeDBS/Treedatabases.asp

Irvine FR, 1961. Woody plants of Ghana with special reference to their uses. London, UK: Oxford University Press.

Kairo M; Ali B; Cheesman O; Haysom K; Murphy S, 2003. Invasive species threats in the Caribbean region. Report to the Nature Conservancy. Curepe, Trinidad and Tobago: CAB International, 132 pp. http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/Kairo%20et%20al,%202003.pdf

La-Serna Ramos I; Dominguez Santana MD; Méndez Pérez B; Acebes Ginovés JR; Pérez de Paz PL, 1991. Contribution to an aeropalynological atlas of the district of Santa Cruz-La Laguna (Tenerife: Canary Islands). V - Ornamental flora. (Contribución al atlas aeropalinológico de la comarca Santa Cruz-La Laguna (Tenerife: Islas Canarias). V - Flora ornamental.) Boletim da Sociedade Broteriana, 64:99-134.

McConnell J; Muniappan R, 1991. Introduced ornamental plants that have become weeds on Guam. Micronesia, No. 3, Supplement:47-49.

Meyer JY, 2004. Threat of invasive alien plants to native flora and forest vegetation of Eastern Polynesia. Pacific Science, 58(3):357-375.

Missouri Botanical Garden, 2008. Tropicos database. St Louis, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/

Nazif NM, 2007. Phytochemical and antioxidant activity of Spathodea campanulata P. Beauvois. growing in Egypt. Natural Product Sciences, 13(1):11-16. http://www.ksp.seoul.kr

PIER, 2008. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk. USA: Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html

PIER, 2013. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk. Honolulu, Hawaii, USA: HEAR, University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html

Rangaiah K; Rao SP; Raju AJS; 2004, publ. 2006. Bird-pollination and fruiting phenology in Spathodea campanulata Beauv. (Bignoniaceae). Beiträge zur Biologie der Pflanzen, 73(3):395-408.

Rivera LW; Aide TM, 1998. Forest recovery in the karst region of Puerto Rico. Forest Ecology and Management, 108(1/2):63-75.

Rockwood DL; DeValerio JT, 1986. Promising species for woody biomass production in warm-humid environments. Biomass, 11(1):1-17; 14 ref.

Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, 2008. Australia's Virtual Herbarium. Sydney, Australia: Royal Botanic Gardens. http://avhtas.tmag

Sanchez JM, 2001. Guía de las plantas ornamentals. Guía de las plantas utilizadas con fines ornamnetales en España ([English title not available])., Spain: Ediciones Mundi-Press, 685 pp.

Storer; Dorothy P, 1958. Familiar trees and cultivated plants of Jamaica. Institute of Jamaica, Kingston.

Streets RJ, 1962. Exotic forest trees in the British Commonwealth. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press.

Swarbrick JT; Hart R, 2001. Environmental weeds of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) and their management. Plant Protection Quarterly, 16(2):54-57; 2 ref.

Swarbrick JT; Hart R, 2001. Environmental weeds of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) and their management. Plant Protection Quarterly, 16:54-57.

USDA-ARS, 2008. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. Beltsville, Maryland, USA: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch.aspx

USDA-NRCS, 2008. The PLANTS Database. Baton Rouge, USA: National Plant Data Center. http://plants.usda.gov/

Van Steenis CGGJ, 1977. Bignoniaceae. In: Flora Malesiana Vol. 8:185. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, The Hague.

White WC, 1951. Flowering trees of the Caribbean. Rinehart and Co. Inc., New York.

Distribution References

Acevedo-Rodríguez P, Strong M T, 2012. Catalogue of the Seed Plants of the West Indies. Washington, DC, USA: Smithsonian Institution. 1192 pp. http://botany.si.edu/Antilles/WestIndies/catalog.htm

Amusan O O G, Msonthi J D, Makhubu L P, 1995. Molluscicidal activity of Spathodea campanulata, Andrachne ovalis, Phytolacca dodecandra and Hypoxis rooperi. Fitoterapia. 66 (2), 113-116.

Auld B A, Nagatalevu-Seniloli M, 2003. African tulip tree in the Fijian islands. In: FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 63-65.

Bito D, 2007. An alien in an archipelago: Spathodea campanulata and the geographic variability of its moth (Lepidoptera) communities in the New Guinea and Bismarck Islands. Journal of Biogeography. 34 (5), 769-778. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/jbi DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2006.01652.x

CABI, 2005. Forestry Compendium. In: Forestry Compendium, Wallingford, UK: CABI.

CABI, Undated. Compendium record. Wallingford, UK: CABI

CABI, Undated a. CABI Compendium: Status as determined by CABI editor. Wallingford, UK: CABI

Díaz Medina A, Grillo Ravelo H, Álvarez Puente R J, Herrera Isla L, Echemendía Alfonso Y, 2004. Spathodea campanulata Beauv., an invasive species in the Guamuhaya mountains, Cuba. Ecology and distribution. (Spathodea campanulata Beauv., especie invasora en el macizo Guamuhaya. Ecológía y distribución.). In: III Congreso 2004 Sociedad Cubana de Malezología, Memorias, Jardín Botánico Nacional, Ciudad Habana, 28, 29 y 30 de abril del 2004. Wimauma, USA: Asociación Latinoamericana de Malezas. 104-107.

Diniz M A, 1996. Cape Verde flora. Vascular plants. 85. Bignoniaceae. (Flora de Cabo Verde. Plantas Vasculares. 85. Bignoniaceae.). In: Flora de Cabo Verde, Lisboa, Portugal: Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical. 14 pp.

Englberger K, 2009. Invasive weeds of Pohnpei: A guide for identification and public awareness., Kolonia, Federated States of Micronesia: Conservation Society of Pohnpei. 29 pp.

Govaerts R, 2013. World Checklist of Myrtaceae., London, UK: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/

Graveson R, 2012. The Plants of Saint Lucia (in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean). In: The Plants of Saint Lucia (in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean), http://www.saintlucianplants.com

I3N-Brasil, 2013. Invasive alien species database., Florianópolis - SC, Brazil: Horus Institute for Environmental Conservation and Development. http://i3n.institutohorus.org.br

ICRAF, 2008. Spathodea campanulata. In: Agroforestree Database, Kenya: World Agroforestry Centre. http://www.worldagroforestry.org/Sites/TreeDBS/Treedatabases.asp

Kairo M, Ali B, Cheesman O, Haysom K, Murphy S, 2003. Invasive species threats in the Caribbean region. Report to the Nature Conservancy. In: Invasive species threats in the Caribbean region. Report to the Nature Conservancy. Curepe, Trinidad and Tobago: CAB International. 132 pp. http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/Kairo%20et%20al,%202003.pdf

Larrue S, Daehler C C, Meyer J Y, Pouteau R, Voldoire O, 2016. Elevational distribution and photosynthetic characteristics of the invasive tree Spathodea campanulata on the island of Tahiti (South Pacific Ocean). NeoBiota. 127-149. http://neobiota.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=8201

La-Serna Ramos I, Dominguez Santana M D, Méndez Pérez B, Acebes Ginovés J R, Pérez de Paz P L, 1991. Contribution to an aeropalynological atlas of the district of Santa Cruz-La Laguna (Tenerife: Canary Islands). V - Ornamental flora. (Contribución al atlas aeropalinológico de la comarca Santa Cruz-La Laguna (Tenerife: Islas Canarias). V - Flora ornamental.). Boletim da Sociedade Broteriana. 99-134.

McConnell J, Muniappan R, 1991. Introduced ornamental plants that have become weeds on Guam. Micronesia. 47-49.

Meyer J Y, 2004. Threat of invasive alien plants to native flora and forest vegetation of Eastern Polynesia. Pacific Science. 58 (3), 357-375. DOI:10.1353/psc.2004.0032

Missouri Botanical Garden, 2008. Tropicos database. In: Tropicos database, St. Louis, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/

Nazif N M, 2007. Phytochemical and antioxidant activity of Spathodea campanulata P. Beauvois. growing in Egypt. Natural Product Sciences. 13 (1), 11-16.

PIER, 2008. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk. In: Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk, USA: Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html

PIER, 2013. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk., Honolulu, Hawaii, USA: HEAR, University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html

Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, 2008. Australia's Virtual Herbarium. In: Australia's Virtual Herbarium, Sydney, Australia: Royal Botanic Gardens. http://avhtas.tmag

Sanchez JM, 2001. [English title not available]. (Guía de las plantas ornamentals). In: Guía de las plantas utilizadas con fines ornamnetales en España (, Spain: Ediciones Mundi-Press. 685 pp.

USA, USDA-ARS, 2008. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. In: Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database, Beltsville, USA: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl

USA, USDA-NRCS, 2008. The PLANTS Database. In: The PLANTS Database, Baton Rouge, USA: National Plant Data Center. http://plants.usda.gov

Links to Websites

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Website	URL	Comment
GISD/IASPMR: Invasive Alien Species Pathway Management Resource and DAISIE European Invasive Alien Species Gateway	https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m93f6	Data source for updated system data added to species habitat list.
Global register of Introduced and Invasive species (GRIIS)	http://griis.org/	Data source for updated system data added to species habitat list.

Contributors

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24/07/13 Updated by:

Julissa Rojas-Sandoval, Department of Botany-Smithsonian NMNH, Washington DC, USA

Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez, Department of Botany-Smithsonian NMNH, Washington DC, USA

29/02/2008 Updated by:

Nick Pasiecznik, Consultant, France

Distribution Maps

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Datasheet

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree)

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