Family: Sapindaceae
Pometia pinnata (Fijian Longan, Pacific lychee) is a small to large, evergreen tree native to various countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands. It is sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit and boiled or roasted seeds, and can naturalize in secondary forest, but is not documented as naturalized in the Hawaiian Islands to date. It may be able to establish and spread in the Hawaiian Islands, but the relatively large fruit and seeds may limit the ability of most birds to act as effective, long-distance dispersers.
High Risk Traits:
- Thrives and can spread in regions with tropical climates
- Naturalized in secondary forest within its native and introduced range.
- Shade tolerant (could potentially invade intact native forests).
- Tolerates many soil types (not substrate limited).
- Reproduces by seeds.
- Capable of self-fertilization
- May reach maturity in 3 years.
- Seeds dispersed by birds, fruit bats, water, and through intentional cultivation.
- Younger plants may coppice and tolerate cutting and pollarding.
Low Risk Traits:
- Only reported to naturalize in secondary forest, and not documented as naturalized in the Hawaiian Islands to date.
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Valued for its wood, edible fruit and edible seeds (roaster or boiled).
- Non-toxic
- Relatively large fruits and seeds may limit accidental or long-distance dispersal and may be too large for most birds present in the Hawaiian Islands to consume and effectively disperse.
