This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur on Ailuk (Aelok) Atoll. It includes those of environmental concern (including those that are probably of threat only to islands with high elevations) as well as agricultural and ruderal weeds. Each species is linked by its scientific name to an individual write-up containing relevant information.
The information in this table is based on the supporting data and may not represent the current situation. Note also there may be discrepancies among data presented at geographic resolutions (e.g., island vs. island group vs. country-territory-state levels), depending upon the reliability of the data at each level.
Species are listed in alphabetic order. You can browse this list or use the "find" function on your web browser to search by scientific name.
Can't find it here? Check the list of synonyms for other names (the more common synonyms are included below) or search other lists and databases available on the Internet.
Stumped by botanical terms? Here are links to a brief glossary and a search engine for botanical terms.
| Scientific name (+Family) | Often-used other Latin names | Habit |
Primarily a threat
at high elevations? |
| Alocasia macrorrhizos (Araceae) | Alocasia indica (Lour.) Spach ; Alocasia plumbea Van Houtte; Arum indicum Lour.; Arum macrorrhizon L.; Colocasia indica (Lour.) Kunth | herb | No |
| Asclepias curassavica (Apocynaceae) | herb | No | |
| Caesalpinia bonduc (Fabaceae) | vine | No | |
| Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae) | Lochnera rosea (L.) Reichb. ex Steud.; Vinca rosea L. | herb | No |
| Centella asiatica (Apiaceae) | Hydrocotyle asiatica L. | herb | No |
| Crinum asiaticum (Amaryllidaceae) | Crinum amabile Donn ex Ker Gawl. | herb | No |
| Eleocharis geniculata (Cyperaceae) | sedge | No | |
| Eleusine indica (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Eragrostis amabilis (Poaceae) | Eragrostis tenella (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. | grass | No |
| Euphorbia cyathophora (Euphorbiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
| Leucaena leucocephala (Fabaceae) | Leucaena glauca (L. ex Willd.) Benth. | tree | No |
| Mirabilis jalapa (Nyctaginaceae) | herb | No | |
| Paspalum distichum (Poaceae) | Paspalum paspalodes (Michx.) Scribn. | grass | No |
| Pseuderanthemum carruthersii (Acanthaceae) | Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum (W. Bull) Radlk.; Pseuderanthemum reticulatum Radlk. | shrub | No |
| Tradescantia spathacea (Commelinaceae) | Rhoeo discolor Hance ex Walp.; Rhoeo spathacea (Sw.) Stearn; Tradescantia discolor L'Hér. | herb | No |