Lepinia  (Lepinia taitensis)

Classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List (1).

With less than 500 mature individuals left in the wild, Lepinia taitensis is one of a growing number of Critically Endangered plants (1) (2). The most remarkable feature of this small tree or shrub, is the conspicuous basket-like fruit that hang pendulously from its branches (2) (3).

Lepinia taitensis is endemic to the French Polynesian islands of Tahiti and Moorea. (2)

Found in wet forest from altitudes of 100 to 600 metres (2)

There is no information available on the biology of Lepinia taitensis.

The single greatest threat to the native flora of the Polynesian Islands is invasive alien plants (4). In Tahiti in particular, the invasive South American tree Miconia calvescens has displaced as much as 70 percent of the island’s native vegetation (5). The dense stands formed by this vigorous species severely limit the regenerative ability of the smaller understorey plants, by preventing their seedlings from receiving sufficient sunlight. It is reported that in forest dominated by Miconia calvescens on Tahiti, seedlings comprise only 7 percent of the Lepenia taitensis population, compared with 60 percent in intact native forest on Moorea (4).

As a direct threat to the survival of a large number of French Polynesia’s endemic plants (4), considerable effort is being made to develop an efficient means of controlling the spread of Miconia calvescens (5). Thus far a biological control programme initiated in Tahiti in 2000 has been of limited success (5).

To find our more about the control of Miconia calvescens and other invasive alien species see:

• The IUCN/SSCInvasive Species Specialist Group:
  www.issg.org