Download Rosary Pea - Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants

Rosary Pea
Abrus precatorius (L.) Fabaceae
Biology
• Other common names include:
–crab’s eyes
–Jequiriti
–precatory pea
–licorice vine
• Climbing or trailing woody vine
• Non-native, native to India
Biology
• Considered to be one of the most toxic
plants in the world
• Toxin is abrin
–Found only in the seed
–Released if chewed & swallowed
–0.00015% of toxin per body weight ~
single seed in humans
–Fatal to humans, pets and livestock
Background
Economic uses
• Attractive
ornamental vine
in many
landscapes
• Seeds are used
in many types of
jewelry
Distribution
• Found throughout much of the
tropics, including Hawaii, Polynesia,
Caribbean Islands
• Scattered infestations in the
southeastern US
• Primarily in Central and South Florida
• Over 27 counties, mainly coastal
Rosary Pea Distribution in Florida
Impacts
• Category 1 invasive species
(FLEPPC)
• Invades undisturbed pinelands and
hammocks
–Grows over small trees and shrubs
–Displaces native plant communities
Mature Plant
Identification
Mature Plant
• Climbing, trailing
woody vine
• Slender, green
branches and stems
• Deeply rooted, often
with trailing roots
• Responds favorably
to fire
Seedling
• Bean-shaped
cotyledons
• First true leaf
trifoliate, then
pinnately
compound
• No terminal
leaflet
Leaves and Stems
• Climbing vine
• Alternate
compound
leaves, 2 to 5
inches long
• 5 to 15 pairs of
oblong leaflets
Flowers and Fruit
• Small pale violet
to pink flowers
• Clustered in leaf
axils
• Legume-shaped
pod, oblong, flat
–1½ - 2 inches
long
Seed
• Seedpod splits at
maturity, seeds
remain attached
• Seeds brilliant
red/scarlet with a
black spot
• Birds unaffected
by toxin, readily
disperse seed
Management
Preventative
Cultural
Mechanical
Biological
Chemical
Preventative
1. Restrict planting as a landscape plant
2. Regular monitoring and rouging of
escaped plants
3. Avoid use of mulch possibly
contaminated with rosary pea seeds
4. Target management efforts to prevent
seed development and spread
Cultural
1. Alternative landscape plants to replace
rosary pea
2. Programs to educate homeowners
¾ Problems associated with rosary pea
¾ Proper plant identification
3. Maintain good ground cover and
mixture of plant species to reduce
rosary pea establishment and growth
Biological
1. There are no known biological control
agents available for rosary pea
management in Florida
Mechanical
1. Hand-pulling and removal of entire
plants (small infestations)
¾ removing top growth is not enough
¾ critical to rouge out roots
2. Aggressive tillage is very effective
¾ impractical in many areas
3. Repeated operations will be necessary
to kill sprouting plants from roots
Chemical
1. Application timing critical, apply in fall
prior to seed set
2. Large woody vines, cut above ground
stem and apply triclopyr immediately
to the cut stem
3. Foliage Application
¾ Triclopyr (3-5 % solution)
¾ Glyphosate (1-3% solution)
Useful Links
• Unites States Department of Agriculture Natural
Resources Conservation Service Plants
Database: http://plants.usda.gov
• Invasives and Exotic Species of North America:
http://www.invasives.org
• University of Florida Center for Aquatic and
Invasive Plants:
http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/welcome.html
• University of Florida’s Cooperative Extension
Electronic Data Information Source:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/index.html
Useful Links
• Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER). Plant
Threats to Pacific Ecosystems:
http://www.hear.org/pier/threats.htm
• Floridata:
http://www.floridata.com/main_fr.cfm?state=Wel
come&viewsrc=welcome.htm
• The Hillsborough County Invasive Species Task
Force: Identification and control of non-native
invasive plants in the Tampa Bay Area:
http://www.tbep.org/pdfs/Invasive_Plants.pdf
Literature Cited
• Langeland, K.A. and K. Craddock Burks. 1998.
Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in
Florida's Natural Areas. IFAS Publication SP
257. University of Florida, Gainesville. 165 pp.