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Sicyos angulatus

Basic information
Scientific name Sicyos angulatus

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アレチウリ
Common names Burcucumber, Starcucumber
Higher taxon Cucurbitaceae, Violales, Magnoliopsida, Magnoliophyta
Natural range North America.
Habitat Edge of forest, vacancy, riverside, roadside, farm area, fruit garden, etc.
Invasion information
Range in Japan Almost entire Japan Range in Japan
Origin USA and Canada
Date The first record was in 1952, at Shimizu Port, Shizuoka Pref.
Route Accidental: With soy bean imported from USA and Canada.
Impact Actually: Competition with native grasses along riverside, crop, afforestation tree, etc.
Native organism(s) affected: Native plants, crop, etc.
Regulation in Japan Import, transport and keeping are prohibited in Japan by the Invasive Alien Species Act. Import of Cucurbitaceae plants from areas with Tephritid fruit flies (Bactrocera cucurbitae and Ceratitis capitata) to Japan is prohibited by the Plant Protection Law.
Introduced range in other countries South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania.
Reference Notes
  • Hotta et al. (1989) Useful Plants of the World. Heibonsha, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Ministry of the Environment, Japan. The Invasive Alien Species Act (Accessed on 2011-1-20) http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/as.html (in Jpn)
  • Osada (1976) Colored Illustrations of Naturalized Plants of Japan. Hoikusha, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • etc.
 100 of the Japan’s Worst Invasive Alien Species