Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)


Report on invasive plant species in American Samoa


Appendix 5

Invasive and potentially invasive species present on Olosega

Scientific Name Common Names Family Habit
Abelmoschus moschatus English: fautia, musk mallow, musk okra; French: ambrette, gombo musqué, ketmie musquée, graine de musc; Other:  kamang, ka‘mang (Guam); karereon, karereon nikapwerik nik, kareron, likonokon (Chuuk); gongul (Palau); metei, mety, methey (Pohnpei); hathongethong, kamwayang, nikapwerik, setmwechin, sotumo (Yap);  wakiwaki, wakewake, wakeke, vakeke, aukiki, okeoke, o‘e‘e (Fiji); fou ingo (Niue), fau ingo (Wallis and Futuna); ‘aute toga, fau tagaloa, fua samasama (American Samoa and Samoa); loa, fau‘ingo (Tonga) Malvaceae herb
Allamanda cathartica English:  yellow trumpet vine, golden trumpet, allamanda, brownbud allamanda, golden allamanda, golden cup; French:  monette jaune, li’ane s’aime; Other:  pua taunofo (American Samoa and Samoa), lani-ali‘i (Hawai‘i) Apocynaceae shrub
Bryophyllum pinnatum English:  life plant, air plant, resurrection plant, Canterbury bells, cathedral bells, Mexican love plant; Spanish: hoja del aire; Other: bulatawamudu (Fiji); ‘oliwa ku kahakai (Hawai'i); teang (Kiribati); kibilia (Marshall Islands); tupu he lau, tupu noa (Niue); pipi vao (Tonga) Crassulaceae herb
Cenchrus echinatus English:  burgrass, sand-bur, southern sandbur, Mossman River grass (Australia); French:  herbe a cateaux (Mauritius); Other: tuitui, vao tuitui, vao papalagi (American Samoa and Samoa); se mbulabula (Fiji); piri-piri, pipiri (French Polynesia); mau‘u kuku, ‘ume‘alu (Hawai'i); te anti, te kateketeke (Kiribati); cram-cram (New Caledonia); motie vihilago, mosie vihilango (Niue); lõklõk, kãlõklõk, lellik, lekelik, liklik, karmwijmwij, karumwij (Marshall Islands); cauit-cauitan (Philippines); hefa (Tonga) Poaceae grass
Clerodendrum buchananii var. fallax English:  red clerodendrum, pagoda-flower; Other:  talufe (Niue); amo’ula, amo’ule (Tonga), lau'awa (Hawai'i) Verbenaceae shrub
Clerodendrum chinense English:  Honolulu rose, stickbush, glory bower; Other:  losa Honolulu, losa onolulu (American Samoa and Samoa); pikake hohono, pikake wauke (Hawai'i), pitate mama (Cook Islands) Verbenaceae shrub
Clidemia hirta English:  Koster’s curse, soap bush; French: canot-macaque; Other:  kui, kúi (Palau); kauresinga, kaurasinga, roinisinga, ndraunisinga, mara na bulumakau, mbona na mbulamakau, vuti (Fiji); kaurasiga (from Ecoport, no source given) Melastomataceae shrub
Commelina diffusa English: commelina, dayflower, wandering Jew, spiderwort; Spanish:  chiriyuyo; Other: semprebiban-damalong (Guam); honohono (Hawai‘i); mau‘utoga, mau‘u Tonga (American Samoa and Samoa); mohuku vai, musie matala pulu (Tonga); ai rorongi, ai rongorongo, airogorogo, cobulabula, rongomatailevu, thombulambula, matembulambula, drano,duludauwere, ndrano, ndulandauwere, luna, tho nggalonggalo (Fiji), ma‘apape (French Polynesia) Commelinaceae herb
Derris malaccensis English: New Guinea creeper; Other:  ‘ava niukini (American Samoa); nduva, tuva, nduva ni niukini (Fiji); akau niukini (Niue); fue fa‘i ‘ava (Samoa); kava fisi (Tonga) Fabaceae vine
Leucaena leucocephala English:  leucaena, wild tamarind, lead tree; French: graines de lin, faux-acacia, faux mimosa (New Caledonia); Other:  koa haole, lili-koa, ekoa (Hawai'i); tangantangan, tangan-tangan, talantayan (Guam, CNMI, Marshall Islands); talntangan (CNMI); ganitnityuwan tangantan (Yap); tuhngantuhngan, rohbohtin (Kosrae); telentund (Palau); lopa Samoa (American Samoa and Samoa); fua pepe (American Samoa and Samoa); lusina (Samoa); pepe (Niue and Samoa); tavahi kaku (Niue); nito, toromiro (Cook Islands); siale mohemohe (Tonga); vaivai, vaivai ni vavalangi, vaivai dina, balori (Fiji); atiku (Marquesas); cassis (Vanuatu); te kaitetua (Kiribati); namas (from Ecoport, source not given) Fabaceae tree
Mikania micrantha English:  mile-a-minute weed, Chinese creeper, American rope, bittervine; French: liane américaine, liane-serpent; Other: fue saina (American Samoa, Samoa and Niue); fou laina (Niue), teb ‘l yas (Palau); wa mbosuthu, wa mbosuvu, wa mbutako, wa ndamele, ovaova, wa bosucu, usuvanua (Fiji); kwalo koburu, (from Ecoport, no source given) Asteraceae vine
Passiflora foetida English:  love-in-a-mist, wild passion fruit, passionflower, stinking passionflower; French:  passiflore; Spanish: bedoca (Galapagos Is.); Other: pasio vao (American Samoa and Samoa); bombom (Chuuk), sou, loliloli ni kalavo, qaranidila (Fiji); pohapoha (Hawai‘i); lani wai (Hawai‘i (Ni‘ihau)); tea biku (Kiribati); vine vao (Niue); kudamono (Palau); pompom, pwomwpwomw (Pohnpei); kinahulo‘ atdao, dulce (Saipan); vaine ‘initia (Tonga); tomates (Yap) Passifloraceae vine
Psidium guajava English: guava; French: goyavier; Spanish:  guayaba, guayabo; Other: ku‘ava, ku‘avu, tu‘avu (American Samoa and Samoa); kuafa (Chuuk); kuava (Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa); quwawa, nguava, ngguava ni India, amrut (Fiji); tuava, tumu tuava, tuvava (French Polynesia); abas guayaba (Galapagos); (Guam, Saipan-Chamorro, Yap); kuawa, kuawa ke‘oke‘o, kuawa lemi, kuawa momona, pauwa (Hawai‘i); kuhfahfah (Kosrae); te kuawa (Kiribati); kuwawa (Nauru); kautoga, kautonga, kautoga tane, kautonga tane (Niue); guabang, kuabang (Palau); guahva, kuahpa (Pohnpei); apas (Saipan); abwas (Saipan-Carolinian); tu‘ava (Samoa) Myrtaceae tree
Pueraria montana var. lobata English:  kudzu, Japanese arrowroot; Other:  deday (Yap); aka (American Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Wallis and Futuna); a'a (American Samoa and Samoa); yaka , wa yaka, nggariaka (Fiji); akataha, fue’aepuaka (Tonga); acha, nepalem Fabaceae vine
Stachytarpheta cayennensis English:  blue rat's tail, dark-blue snakeweed, false verbena, nettleleaf velvetberry; French:  herbe bleue; Other: ouchung, sakura (Chuuk), louch beluu (Palau); mautofu tala, mautofu vao, matofu fualanumanoa (American Samoa and Samoa); te uti (Kiribati); mautofu Samoa, motofu Samoa (Niue); hiku ‘i kuma, hiku‘kuma, ‘iku ‘i kuma, iku ‘ikuma (Tonga); turulakaka, tumbutumbu, serakawa, lavenia, se karakarawa (Fiji) Verbenaceae herb
Tecoma stans English:  yellow bells, yellow-elder, yellow trumpetbush; Other:  peeal (Puluwat), piti (French Polynesia, Tonga) Bignoniaceae small tree
Triumfetta rhomboidea English: Chinese burr, paroquet burr, burr bush; Other:  dadangsi, masiksik lahe (Guam); mo‘osipo (Tonga); mosipo (Niue); manutofu, mautofu, mautofu vao (American Samoa and Samoa); qatima (Fiji), urio (French Polynesia) Tiliaceae shrub

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This page updated 12 December 2001.