Abrus precatorius (L.) Fabaceae Rosary Pea Abrus precatorius (L.) Fabaceae

Biology Other common names include: crab’s eyes Jequiriti precatory pea licorice vine Climbing or trailing woody vine Non-native, native to India

Biology Considered to be one of the most toxic plants in the world Toxin is abrin Found only in the seed Released if chewed & swallowed 0.00015% of toxin per body weight ~ single seed in humans Fatal to humans, pets and livestock

Background Economic uses Attractive ornamental vine in many landscapes Seeds are used in many types of jewelry

Distribution Found throughout much of the tropics, including Hawaii, Polynesia, Caribbean Islands Scattered infestations in the southeastern US Primarily in Central and South Florida Over 27 counties, mainly coastal

Rosary Pea Distribution in Florida

Impacts Category 1 invasive species (FLEPPC) Invades undisturbed pinelands and hammocks Grows over small trees and shrubs Displaces native plant communities

Mature Plant

Identification

Mature Plant Climbing, trailing woody vine Slender, green branches and stems Deeply rooted, often with trailing roots Responds favorably to fire

Seedling Bean-shaped cotyledons First true leaf trifoliate, then pinnately compound No terminal leaflet

Leaves and Stems Climbing vine Alternate compound leaves, 2 to 5 inches long 5 to 15 pairs of oblong leaflets

Flowers and Fruit Small pale violet to pink flowers Clustered in leaf axils Legume-shaped pod, oblong, flat 1½ - 2 inches long

Seed Seedpod splits at maturity, seeds remain attached Seeds brilliant red/scarlet with a black spot Birds unaffected by toxin, readily disperse seed

Management Preventative Cultural Mechanical Biological Chemical

Preventative Restrict planting as a landscape plant Regular monitoring and rouging of escaped plants Avoid use of mulch possibly contaminated with rosary pea seeds Target management efforts to prevent seed development and spread

Cultural Alternative landscape plants to replace rosary pea Programs to educate homeowners Problems associated with rosary pea Proper plant identification Maintain good ground cover and mixture of plant species to reduce rosary pea establishment and growth

Biological There are no known biological control agents available for rosary pea management in Florida

Mechanical Hand-pulling and removal of entire plants (small infestations) removing top growth is not enough critical to rouge out roots Aggressive tillage is very effective impractical in many areas Repeated operations will be necessary to kill sprouting plants from roots

Chemical Application timing critical, apply in fall prior to seed set Large woody vines, cut above ground stem and apply triclopyr immediately to the cut stem Foliage Application Triclopyr (3-5 % solution) Glyphosate (1-3% solution)

Useful Links Unites States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Plants Database: http://plants.usda.gov Invasives and Exotic Species of North America: http://www.invasives.org University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/welcome.html University of Florida’s Cooperative Extension Electronic Data Information Source: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/index.html

Useful Links Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER). Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems: http://www.hear.org/pier/threats.htm Floridata: http://www.floridata.com/main_fr.cfm?state=Welcome&viewsrc=welcome.htm The Hillsborough County Invasive Species Task Force: Identification and control of non-native invasive plants in the Tampa Bay Area: http://www.tbep.org/pdfs/Invasive_Plants.pdf

Literature Cited Langeland, K.A. and K. Craddock Burks. 1998. Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas. IFAS Publication SP 257. University of Florida, Gainesville. 165 pp.