COOPERATIVE NATIONAL PARK RESOURCES STUDIES UNIT UNIWRSITY OF HAWAI'I AT MANOA Department of Botany 3190 Maile Way Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822 (808) 956-821 8 Technical Report 94 Myrica faya: Review of the Biology, Ecology, Distribution, and Control, Including an Annotated Bibliography Candace J. Lutzow-Felling, Donald E. Gardner, George P. Markin, Clifford W. Smith UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I AT MANOA NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Cooperative Agreement CA 8037-2-0001 April 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS ... LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... 111 ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 DESCRIPTIVE BIOLOGY ............................................................................................. 2 Systematics .................................... ............................................................................ 2 Anatomy ..................................................................................................................... 4 Growth Form ................................................................................................................ 4 Reproductive Structures ...............................................................................................5 Inflorescence ...................... ... ..........................................................................5 Fruit ..........................................................................................................................9 Sexual Morphism ..................... ............................................................................9 DISTRIBUTION ........................................................................................................... 10 Myricaceae ................................................................................................................ 10 Myrica faya .................................................................................................................11 Distribution In Macaronesia ..................................................................................12 The Azores ........................................................................................................12 Pico ...............................................................................................................12 Faial ............................................................................................................ 13 Terceira ........................................................................................................13 Siio Miguel ...................................................................................................13 Madeira .............................................................................................................17 Canary Islands ........................ ...................................................................21 Gran Canaria ............................................................................................. 21 Tenerife ........................................................................................................21 Gomera .........................................................................................................21 La Palma .......................................................................................................22 Cape Verde Islands ................................... .....................................................22 Distribution Outside Macaronesia .........................................................................22 Portuguese Mainland ................................................................................... 22 Sintra ............................................................................................................22 Coimbra ........................................................................................................22 Monchique ....................................................................................................22 Morocco ...............,..... ......... ................................................................. 23 U . S . Mainland ..................................................................................................23 Hawai'i ..............................................................................................................23 Distribution of Other Species of Myrica From the Kew Index .......................... 23 Species of Myrica at Kew Gardens Herbarium .....................................................26 Species of Myrica from Chile and Venezuela .................................................... 28 ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS ................................................................................ 29 Environmental Factors ................................................................................................ 29 Compatible Climate ............................................................................................ 29 Light Level ..................................................................................................... 30 Disturbance ....................................................................................................... 30 Competition from Native Flora ......................................................................... 30 Nutrient Availability ......................................................................................... 31 Natural Enemies ................................................................................................ 32 Species Attributes ....................................................................................................... 32 Mode of Reproduction ...........................................................................................32 Reproductive Capacity and Means of Dispersal .................................................... 32 Rate of Vegetative Growth .................................................................................. 37 Tolerance to Environmental Stress ........................................................................ 37 Nitrogen Fixation .............................. .. ..............................................................37 Allelopathy ............................................................................................................40 Summary .....................................................................................................................40 ETHNOBOTANICAL USES OF FAYATREE ..............................................................40 Windbreaks .................................................................................................................41 Ornamental .............................................................................................................. 41 Grazing and Browsing ...............................................................................................41 Mulch ..........................................................................................................................41 Fruit as Animal or Human Food .............................. ................................................41 Wine ...........................................................................................................................41 Firewood ...................... ........................................................................................ 42 Wood ..........................................................................................................................42 Grapevine Stakes ........................................................................................................42 Other Uses ............................................................................................................... 42 CONTROL EFFORTS ....................................................................................................43 Browsing and Grazing ..................... ........................................................................43 Mechanical Control .................................................................................................. 43 Chemical Control ........................................................................................................43 Biological Control ......................................................................................................46 Insects and Other Arthropods ...............................................................................48 Plant Pathogens ......................................................................................................53 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ..............................................................................55 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................... .................................................................56 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................57 LIST OF FIGURES 1. Flowering branches with staminate flowers of fayatree ............................................. 7 2 . Closeup of staminate flowers ..................................................................................... 7 3 . Closeup of pistillate flowers of fayatree .................................................................