Introduction

Clidemia hirta (L.) D. Don (Melastomataceae) commonly known as soapbush or Koster's curse, is a neotropical plant ranging from southern Mexico to northern Argentina and east to the islands of the West Indies (Wester and Wood, 1977). It is a densely branched shrub, which grows up to four meters in height. The stems are covered with red bristles. The leaves are opposite, simple, and petiolate. Five to seven major veins originate at the base of the leaf and extend to the apex. The inflorescence is a panicle that can be subterminal or axillary. The calyx has five hairy linear lobes atop a long urceolate hypanthium. The corolla consists of five to seven small white petals. Fruits are borne in clusters of dark blue berries, hairy ovoid, 6 to 9 mm long and can have well over 100 seeds per fruit (Gleason, 1939; Wagner et al., 1990). The seeds are 0.5 mm in diameter and are readily dispersed by frugivorous birds (Simmonds, 1933; Garrison, 2003), and probably other vertebrates (including humans via footwear) such as mongoose. Soil disturbance by wild pigs in Hawaii facilitates invasion of C. hirta into native forest (Smith, 1992).

In its native range, C. hirta occupies forest edges, streams, trails, roadsides, and disturbed sites. It occurs as scattered plants, occasionally as thickets, which flourish for a few years and succumb to competition or diseases and insects.