Cestrum elegans
NPPA pest plant
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
red cestrum
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Violet/Purple
Detailed description
Shrub 2-4 high; shoots and petioles densely covered in purplish hairs. Petiole to 2cm long. Lamina 4-10x1.5-5cm (to at least 16 x 7 cm on vegetative shoots), ovate, elliptic or lanceolate, hairy, densely so beneath; base cuneate to rounded; apex actue or short-acuminate. Infl. paniculate, dense; branches purple, hairy; fls subsessile to shortly pedicellate, scentless. Calyx c. 7mm long, purple, usually glabrous outside; teeth 1-4mm long, triangular, acute or short-acuminate, +/- ciliate. Corolla 1.8-2.5 cm long, rosy magenta to deep crimson; tube funnelform with narrow-cylindric base and constricted apex, glabrous, shining; lobes 1-3mm long, +/- hairy outside, glabrous inside, short-acuminate. Fr. apparently uncommon, to 2x1.5cm, obovoid, glossy crimson. (Webb.et.al.1988)
Similar taxa
Corolla tube glabrose outside, rosy magenta or deep rose.
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Solanaceae
Ecology
Flowering
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Year naturalised
1958
Origin
Mexico
Reason for introduction
Ornamental.
Life cycle
Perennial.
Other information
Etymology
elegans: Elegant
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.
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.