CIBED - - Grand Balloon-vine -

Cardiospermum grandiflorum Grand Balloon-vine No Local Name

f.SAPINDACEAE Lychees

Cardiospermum grandiflorum Grand Balloon-vine No Local Name

f.SAPINDACEAE Lychees

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesGrand Balloon‑vine ^EN Balloonvine ^EN Heart‑seed Vine ^EN Heartseed Vine ^EN

Local NamesP,?N^RR

Pacific NamesNo Content

Sci. NamesCardiospermum grandiflorum (accepted name) , Cardiospermum halicacabum

High Tax. Eng.k.Plants, p.Flowering Plants, f.Lychees - a vine

High Tax. Latink.PLANTAE, p.ANTHOPHYTA, c.MAGNOLIOPSIDA, sc.ROSIDAE, o.Sapindales, f.SAPINDACEAE

Natl. PresencePresent

Sth. PresenceRR⁺⁺⁺⁺MG^-AT^-MK^-MT^-AK^-PL^-MN^-TK^-

Nth. PresenceTN^-MH^-RK^-PK^-NS^-SW^-

VouchersRR¹⁹²⁹

Local OriginIntroduced; Recent; Naturalised

Global RangeNative: Mexico - Argentina; ?tropical Africa; Introduced: South Africa; Australia, Micronesia, Rarotonga, Hawai‘i;

HabitatLand; Lowlands, Horticultural Zone; Uplands

ThreatenedNo Content

InvasivenessInvasive; Wilderness - serious, Agriculture - serious; by out-competing plants

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusNo Content

UsesNo Content

IdentificationA high-climbing, slender vine, to 10m. STEM ~5mmØ, rigid, ridged, hairy. LEAVES alternate, twice divided into 3 (=biternate); LEAFLETS 9, ovate to 8x6cm; dull green, edge with a few large teeth, base round, tip sharp. FLOWER STALK to 20cm with 2 subtmore...erminal tendrils, with or without flowers. FLOWERS ~12 in terminal cluster; small, ~15mmØ; sepals greenish, 2 large and 2 small; petals 4, white, to 9x6mm; nectary tube white with bright yellow tip. FRUIT (=CAPSULE) ovoid 3-angled papery "balloon" to 50x35mm(LxØ); SEEDS 3, round, 5mmØ, ripen black, each attached to the centre of a papery wing.

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Leaves, flowers and fruit

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Grand Balloon-vine ^EN Balloonvine^EN Heart-seed Vine^EN Heartseed Vine^EN

Pacific Names

No Pacific Names

Local Names

P,?N^RR

No National Names

Island	Status	Main name
National name		None
Rarotonga	++++	P,?N
Mangaia	-	A,nN?
Ātiu	-	A,nN
Ma‘uke	-	A,nN?
Miti‘āro	-	A,nN?
Aitutaki	-	A,nN?
Palmerston	-	A,nN
Tongareva-write	-	A,nN
Tongareva-speak	-	A,nN
Manihiki	-	A,nN
Rakahanga	-	A,nN
Pukapuka	-	A,nN
Nassau	-	A,nN

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

National Distribution & Vouchers

National Presence:

Present

Oceanic

islands: [ , {label: 'Rarotonga', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 404.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 222, labelTop: 404} , {label: 'Mangaia', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 427.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 274, labelTop: 426} , {label: 'Ātiu', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 372.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 382} , {label: 'Ma‘uke', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 374.5, left: 282.5, labelLeft: 284, labelTop: 385} , {label: 'Miti‘āro', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 358.5, left: 274.5, labelLeft: 283, labelTop: 351} , {label: 'Aitutaki', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 334.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 209, labelTop: 321} , {label: 'Palmerston', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 309.5, left: 112.5, labelLeft: 124, labelTop: 309} , {label: 'Manuae', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 346.5, left: 234.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 338} , {label: 'Takūtea', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 362.5, left: 254.5, labelLeft: 211, labelTop: 363} , {label: 'Tongareva', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 80.5, left: 175.5, labelLeft: 187, labelTop: 80} , {label: 'Rakahanga', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 63.5, left: 173.5, labelLeft: 186, labelTop: 63} , {label: 'Pukapuka', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 88.5, left: 33.5, labelLeft: 45, labelTop: 88} , {label: 'Nassau', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 108.5, left: 46.5, labelLeft: 59, labelTop: 108} , {label: 'Suwarrow', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 162.5, left: 115.5, labelLeft: 127, labelTop: 162} ] , legend: [{label: 'Not Assessed', top: 235, stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#ffffff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: 'Present', top: 250, stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Present', top: 265, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Absent', top: 280, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Absent', top: 295, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RWR', tris: '#c0c0c0', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Intercepted', top: 312, stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RDR', tris: '#000000', trif: '#000000'}, {label: 'Extirpated/Extinct', top: 331, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000'} ]

Island	Status
Rarotonga	++++
Mangaia	Absent
Ātiu	Absent
Ma‘uke	Absent
Miti‘āro	Absent
Aitutaki	Absent
Palmerston	Absent
Manuae	Absent
Takūtea	Absent
Tongareva	Absent
Manihiki	Absent
Rakahanga	Absent
Pukapuka	Absent
Nassau	Absent
Suwarrow	Absent

Note: S.Group only (Rarotonga only)

Vouchers for:
Cardiospermum grandiflorum

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga _____ 1929 1cs specimen specimen, 1929, in Bishop Museum, Wilder with ID as Cardiospermum halicacabum, Avarua, 50ft elevation, 'growing about the dwellings, not cultivated', BUT specimen is definitely Cardiospermum grandiflorum, G.McCormack 2003, and in Wilder's Flora it says: A cultivated ornamental. Not very common. Seen only in Avarua.

Mangaia

Ātiu

Ma‘uke

Miti‘āro

Aitutaki

Palmerston

Manuae

Takūtea

Tongareva

Manihiki

Rakahanga

Pukapuka

Nassau

Suwarrow

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

no data available

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

no data available

Biosecurity

Medicinal

no data available

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.05.15 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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English and International Names

Pacific Names

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Vouchers for:
Cardiospermum grandiflorum

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Habitat

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

Biosecurity

Medicinal

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

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Accepted Name

Synonyms

Vouchers for: Cardiospermum grandiflorum

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Cardiospermum grandiflorum