C. pubescens is a large, erect, rapidly growing evergreen tree;up to 30 m tall, but most frequently reported as 4-10 m in height, attaining heights of 15 m on Santa Cruz, Galapagos (Shimizu, 1997);sparsely branched as lower branches shed, with young branches glabrous or pubescent. Bark brown, smooth;inner bark reddening when cut. Leaves deciduous, opposite, large, broadly elliptic-ovate to broadly oblong, 20-40 (-50) x 10-30 (-40) cm;upper surface light green, puberulent or glabrate, rather thin, membranous to papery, conspicuously veined (9-11 lateral pairs), margins entire, apex rounded, base broadly to narrowly cuneate, petioles 1.5-4.5 cm long, stipules ovate, caducous;lower surface with tufts of hairs in axils of lateral veins;old leaves reddish-orange. Flower numerous, in large panicles, rose-pink, fragrant;calyx densely appressed, pubescent, teeth deltate: heterostylous;in microstyled plants 5 exerted anthers alternate with corolla lobes and bifid stigma reaches half length of corolla tube;in macrostyled plants the situation is reversed with the stigma being exserted and the stamens hidden in pale pink corolla tube (1.0-1.2 cm long), which is villous within and comprising 5 spreading lobes, 4-5 mm long. Capsules ovoid-fusiform to oblong, 2-3 cm long;dehiscent from base to apex. Seeds 7-10 x 2-3 mm, with a broad ciliate wing. Note that this species description is a composite from several sources which vary considerably, especially in dimensions of the tree, leaves and seeds, emphasizing the variability of this species.
Related invasive species
- Cinchona pubescens
Related Farm Practice
- Plantations
- Light
- Flora
C. pubescens has been widely introduced throughout the tropics over the past 150 years because of its medicinal properties. However, it is only in small island systems, notably the Galapagos and Hawaii, that it has become invasive, after a relatively long period of adaptation. In the moist upland regions of these islands, it is beginning to have a significant impact on biodiversity affecting endemic species in both the flora and fauna.
C. pubescens is not a weed of agricultural crops, although there are reports of it invading Eucalyptus plantations in Hawaii (Wagner et al., 1999;Starr et al., 2003). In the Galapagos, it has invaded two of the upper vegetation zones (500-700 m), posing a threat to the endemic flora (Macdonald et al., 1988;Cronk and Fuller, 1995).