Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Leea guineensis

West Indian Holly

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Sorry, there are no multimedia or other resources available for this species yet.

General Information

COMMON NAMES: West Indian Holly, Hawaiian Holly

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE w.Africa - ?Indonesia; EXOTIC EXOTIC circumtropical

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; S.Group - Rarotonga (at least); Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Ornamental leaves and flowers

KEY FEATURES: Bushy shrub to 4m. LEAVES alternate, compound, divided up to 3x, ~1 plane; LEAFLETS in threes, oval with drawn-out tip, to 12x4cm, green to purplish. FLOWERS axillary, in very dense mass, 1cmØ; petals 5, red to purple. FRUIT ~globose, 1cmØ, dark red.

SIMILAR SPECIES: There is much confusion about the correct name for the Leea with bright red flowers which is often referred to as Leea coccinea Planch. non Bojer. Some authorities put it into Leea guineensis and others do not. As an interim measure we have included it in Leea guineensis.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	-	-	-					-

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-			-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Leea guineensis G.Don
SYNONYMS: Leea coccinea Planch. non Bojer; Leea coccinea Bojer; Leea manillensis Walpers

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Rhamnales; LEEACEAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga fieldspecimen+photo, Muri, Sailing Club, 10/2005, G.McCormack with ID as Leea guineensis.

References:
p.544 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.643 Hortus 3rd
p.654 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.920 Tropica

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zD05b

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List