Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Cestrum auriculatum L'Hér.

sauco, dama olorosa, hierba santa, orange cestrum

Orange cestrum in Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Photo: Jorge Renteria, CDF, 2006.
Orange cestrum in Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Photo: Jorge Renteria, CDF, 2006.

A shrub 3 to 4 m high. The leaves and branches give off a foul odor when cut and are toxic to livestock. The flowers are tubular and cream-colored, and the fruits are round and black.

A shrub 3 to 4 m high. It begins to bear fruit at 2 years of age, and bears flowers and fruit throughout the year. The leaves and branches give off a foul odor when cut and are toxic to livestock. The flowers are tubular and cream-colored, and the fruits are round and black.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Plantae

Phylum
Magnoliophyta

Class
Magnoliopsida (= Dicotyledoneae)

Order
Solanales

Family
Solanaceae

Genus
Cestrum

Species
auriculatum

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Cestrum leptanthum Dunal; Francey (1935) as Cestrum diurnum Dunal.

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 1984

Mode of introduction: Intentional

Introduction Pathway: Intentional

Subpathway: Agriculture/Horticulture

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Invasive

Impact in Galapagos: C. auriculatum invades all types of terrain, especially disturbed areas. It has reportedly caused the death of livestock by consumption.

Control methods elsewhere: The seedlings should be pulled manually. Juveniles and adults should be cut or girdled, then apply herbicide to the stump or girdle.

Ecology

Preference for an altitude zone in Galapagos: Humid zone

Trophic role: Primary producer

Persistence mechanisms: Seeds

Reproductive biology: The orange cestrum begins to bear fruit at 2 years of age and can bear flowers and fruit throughout the year.

Growth form: Shrubs

Distribution origin: Western South America

Dispersal propagule: Seed

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, originally from Western South America.

References

  • Chavez, J. (1993) Diagnostico de la Agricultura y la Ganader¡a en la Provincia de Galapagos. Tesis.
  • Tropicos.org. (2017) Database of Missouri Botanical Garden. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 06 Oct 2017 <http://www.tropicos.org
  • Brako, L. Zarucchi,J.L. (1993) Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45: i–xl, 1–1286.
  • Macbride, J.F. (1962) Solanaceae, Flora of Peru. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 13(5B/1): 3–267.
  • Francey, P. (1935) Monographie du genre Cestrum L. Candollea 6: 46–398.
  • Guézou, A. Trueman, M., Buddenhagen, E., Chamorro, S., Guerrero, A.M., Pozo, P., Atkinson, R. (2010) An extensive Alien Plan Inventory from the Inhabited Areas of Galapagos Plos One/ www.plosone.org. Volume 5/ Issue 4/e10276
  • Gardener, M. R. A. Tye and S.R. Wilkinson (1999) Control of Introduced plants in the Galapagos Islands. Twelfth Australian Weeds Conference, Tasmania Weed Society. Pp 396-400.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Cestrum auriculatum", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=765. Accessed 24 November 2024.