Cestrum fasciculatum
NPPA pest plant
Common names
red cestrum
Biostatus
Exotic
Conservation status
Not applicable
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Flower colours
Red/Pink
Detailed description
Shrub 2-4 m high. Shoots and petioles densely covered in purplish hairs. Petiole to 4 cm long. Lamina 4-15 X 2.5-7.5 cm, narrow to broad-ovate or ovate-elliptic, hairy; base cuneate to rounded; apex acute or shortly acuminate. Panicle dense; peduncles purple, hairy; flowers sessile or subsessile, scentless. Calyx 0.7-1cm long, hairy ouside; lobes c. 2 mm long, +/- triangular, acute. Corolla (1.2)-1.5-2-(2.5) cm long, scarlet; tube funnelform with cylindric base, constricted at apex, densely hairy outside, glabrous inside. Fruit uncommon, 0.7-1.4 cm diam., +/- subglobose to broad-obovoid, dark red. (Webb et al 1988). Leaves with an unpleasant smell.
Similar taxa
Vegetatively very similar to C. elegans. However in C. fasciculatum the corolla tube is densely hairy outside, usually scarlet, occasionally rosy purple. In C. elegans the carolla tube is glabrous and rosy magenta or deep rose.
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March
Year naturalised
1988
Origin
Mexico
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Life cycle and dispersal
Perennial.
Other information
National Pest Plant Accord species
This plant is listed in the 2020 National Pest Plant Accord. The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is an agreement to prevent the sale and/or distribution of specified pest plants where either formal or casual horticultural trade is the most significant way of spreading the plant in New Zealand. For up to date information and an electronic copy of the 2020 Pest Plant Accord manual (including plant information and images) visit the MPI website.