Report on invasive plant species in American Samoa
Appendix 6
Invasive and potentially invasive species present on
Ta‘u| 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 |
| Acacia auriculiformis | English: Papuan wattle, auri, earleaf acacia, northern black wattle, ear-pod wattle; Other: tuhkehn pwelmwahu (Pohnpei) | Fabaceae | tree |
| Adenanthera pavonina | English: Coral bean tree, red sandalwood tree, red bead tree, lopa, bead tree, false wiliwili, peacock flower-fence; French: bois de condori; Other: kaikes (Pohnpei); mwetkwem (Kosrae); colales, culalis, kolales, kulales, kulalis (Guam, CNMI); metekam, metkam, metkem, (Kosrae); telengtúngd, telentundalel (Palau); pomea (Fiji, Niue), lera, lere ndamu, vaivai, vaivai ni vavalangi (Fiji), lopa, la‘au lopa (American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga); paina, pitipitio (French Polynesia) | Fabaceae | tree |
| Aleurites moluccana | English: candlenut, Indian walnut; French: bancoulier, bancoulier, noyer de bancoul, noyer des Moluques; Other: lumbang (Guam), raguar (Caroline Islands); sakan, shakan (Pohnpei); lama (American Samoa and Samoa); kukui (Hawai’i); tuitui (Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga), 'ama (Marquesas); lauci, lauthe, lauthi, toto, tuitui, tutui, waiwai, sekeci,sikethi, sikeli, nggerenggere (Fiji); tahii tiairi, ti’a’iri, tutui, tahiri (French Polynesia) | Euphorbiaceae | tree |
| Axonopus fissifolius | English: caratao grass, narrow-leaved carpetgrass | Poaceae | grass |
| Cananga odorata | English: perfume tree; French: canang odorant; Other: ilang-ilang, alang-ilang (Guam, Philippines); ylang-ylang, lengileng (CNMI); chiráng, irang (Palau); ilanlang, ilahnglahng (Kosrae); pwanang, pwuur, pwalang (Chuuk); pur-n-wai, pwurenwai, sair-n-wai, seirin wai, seir en wai (Pohnpei); ilanilan, ilañlañ (Marshall Islands); motoi (Niue); makasoi, makosoi, makusui, mokohoi, mokosoi (Fiji); moso‘oi (American Samoa and Samoa); mohoki, mohokoi, mohokoi (Tonga); moto‘oi, mata‘oi (Cook Islands, Niue, Tahiti); moto‘i (Tahiti); lanalana (Hawai‘i) | Annonaceae | tree |
| Casuarina equisetifolia | English: casuarina, ironwood, Australian pine, she-oak, horsetail tree, beefwood; French: arbe de fer; Spanish: arbol de hierro; Other: nach (Yap); lach (Ulithi); laash (Woleai); weeku (Chuuk); gagu, gago (Guam, CNMI); weighu (CNMI-Carolinian); pientri (pinetree), nidil, bû ukam (bluegum on some atolls), nidõ (needle" on some atolls) mejinoki (Marshall Islands); toa (American Samoa, French Polynesia, Hawai‘i, Niue, Samoa and Tonga); ‘aito (French Polynesia); nokonoko, nakure, qaro (Fiji); te katurina (from Ecoport, source not given) | Casuarinaceae | tree |
| 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 |
| Chloris barbata | English: swollen fingergrass, purpletop chloris (Australia), airport grass (Fiji); Other: mau’u lei (Hawai'i) | 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 |
| Clerodendrum quadriloculare | English: bronze-leaved clerodendrum; Other: tirooj in belle (Marshall Islands); kleuang (Palau); tuhkehn palau (Pohnpei), bagauac (Philippines) | 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 |
| Crassocephalum crepidoides | English: thickhead, fireweed, redflower ragleaf; Other: fua lele, pualele (American Samoa and Samoa); maraburubo (Solomon Islands); fisi puna (Tonga); se vuka (Fiji) | Asteraceae | herb |
| Cynodon dactylon | English: Bermuda grass, giant Bermuda grass, bahama grass, devil's grass, couch grass, Indian doab, grama, devilgrass, couchgrass, balama grass; French: chiendent, petit chiendent, chiendent pied-de-poule; Other: manini, manienie (Hawai'i); motie molulu (Niue); kambuta, kabuta (Fiji); mosie molulu (Niue); herbe de couverture (New Caledonia); pasto bermuda, zacate bermuda, grama dulce, gramón, hierba fina, grama-seda, (from Ecoport, no source given) | Poaceae | grass |
| Cyperus rotundus | English: nut grass, nutsedge, purple nutsedge, cocograss; French: souchet rond, souchet à tubercules, herbe à oignon; Other: oni ani (Cook Islands); soro na kambani, sora na kambani, soro ni kabani, ivako, malanga, vucesa, motha, vuthesa mot ha (Fiji); chaguan humatag (Guam); kili'o'opu, mau‘u mokae (Hawai‘i); te mumute (Kiribati); tuteoneon (Marshall Islands); mumuta (Samoa, Tokelau); pakopako (Tonga) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Delonix regia | English: flame tree, flamboyant, poinciana; Spanish: flamboyan; Other: ngatipa, avarua (Rarotonga, Cook Islands); fayarbaw (CNMI–Carolinian); sekoula (Fiji); puke (Tahiti, French Polynesia); arbol del fuego, atbot, atbot det fuegu, atbut (Guam and CNMI–Chamorro); ‘ohai ‘ula (Hawai'i); pine (Niue); nangiosákura, nangyo (Palau); pilampwoia weitahta (Pohnpei); ‘ohai (Tonga); sakuranirow (Yap) | Fabaceae | tree |
| Digitaria ciliaris | English: Henry's crabgrass, smooth crabgrass, tropical crab grass, large crab grass, southern crabgrass, fingergrass, summer grass; French: digitaire ciliée; Other: kukaepua'a (Hawai'i); Saulangi (Niue) | Poaceae | grass |
| Duranta erecta | English: duranta, golden dewdrop, pigeon-berry, sky-flower; Other: ‘olive (Tonga) | Verbenaceae | shrub |
| Eleusine indica | English: goosegrass, wiregrass, goose foot, crow's foot, bullgrass; French: pied de poule; Other: fahitalo, lau ta‘a ta‘a, ta‘a ta‘a (American Samoa and Samoa); kavoronaisivi, vorovoroisivi, ghoraya (Fiji); tamamau (French Polynesia), umog (Guam); manienie ali‘i (Hawai'i); mahkwekwe (Kosrae); katejukjuk (Marshall Islands); mosie fahitalo (Niue); deskim, keteketarmalk (Palau); reh takai (Pohnpei); takataka, takataka ‘a leala, mohuku siamane (Tonga); te uteute (from Ecoport, source not given) | Poaceae | grass |
| Hemigraphis alternata | English: metal leaf; red ivy, cemetery plant (Fiji) | Acanthaceae | herb |
| Hyptis pectinata | English: comb hyptis, comb bushmint, mint weed, purple top; French: fausse menthe; Other: mumutun lahe, mumutun palaoan, mumutan ademelon (Guam); tamole ni veikau, tamoli ni vavalangi, timothi ni vavalangi, wavuwavu, ndamoli, ben tulsia (Fiji) | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Imperata cylindrica | English: blady grass, cogon grass, satintail; French: paille de dys, paillotte, impérata cylindrique, impérate; Other: gi, ngi (Fiji); alang-alang, lalang (Indonesia, Malaysia); kasoring (Palau) | Poaceae | grass |
| Indigofera suffruticosa | English: indigo; Other: aniles (Guam); ‘iniko, inikoa, kolu (Hawai'i); la‘au mageso (Samoa); ‘akau veli (Tonga) | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Kyllinga brevifolia | English: green kyllinga, green water sedge; Other: kili‘o‘opu, kaluha, manunene, mau‘u mokae (Hawai‘i); tuise (Samoa); pakopako (Tonga) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Kyllinga nemoralis | English: white kyllinga, whitehead spikesedge, whitewater sedge; Other: kili‘o‘opu (Hawai‘i), ta‘a ta‘a, ta‘a ta‘a vili taliga, matie upo‘o, matie tahiti, mo‘u upo‘onui, mo‘u upo‘o, tuise (Samoa); pakopako, pakopako ‘ae kuma (Tahiti); tuise (Tonga) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Lantana camara | English: lantana; Other: latana (American Samoa and Samoa); taramoa (Cook Islands); kauboica, kaumboitha, mbonambulumakau, mbona ra mbulumakau, tokalau, waiwai, lanitana (Fiji); taratara hamoa, taratara moa (French Polynesia); latora moa, tatara moa (French Polynesia (Tahiti)); lakana, la‘au kalakala, lanakana (Ni‘ihau), mikinolia hihiu, mikinolia hohono, mikinolia kuku (Hawai'i); ros fonacni (Kosrae); te kaibuaka, te kaibuaja (Kiribati); migiroa (Nauru), landana, rantana, rahndana, tukasuweth (Pohnpei); talatala, talatala talmoa (Tonga) | Verbenaceae | shrub |
| 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 |
| Lonicera japonica | English: Japanese honeysuckle, Hall’s honeysuckle; Other: honekakala (Hawai'i) | Caprifoliaceae | vine |
| Merremia peltata | English: merremia; Other: wachathal (yap); lohl, iol, yol (Pohnpei); kebeas (Palau); lagon, lagun (Guam); fitau, fitaw (Chuuk); pala, pul, puhlah (Kosrae); fue, fue vao, fue kula (Niue); fue lautetele (American Samoa and Samoa); fue mea (Tonga); abui, grobihi, arosumou (Solomon Islands); wa mbula, wa bula, wa damu, wa ndamu, viliyawa, wiliviwa, veliyana, wiliao (Fiji); pohue (French Polynesia) | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| 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 |
| Paspalum conjugatum | English: T grass, ti grass, sour grass; sour palpalum, buffalo grass, carabao grass, Hilo grass (Hawai'i); French: herbe sure, herbe créole; herbe de tauère (New Caledonia); Other: fetin wumwune (Chuuk); mau‘u Hilo (Hawai‘i), muhsrasre (Kosrae); moise vailima, motie vailima (Niue and Tonga); udel ra ngebei (Palau); rehn wai (Pohnpei); vao lima (American Samoa and Samoa), vailima matafao (Samoa); vailima, (Samoa, Tonga, Niue) | Poaceae | grass |
| Paspalum fimbriatum | English: fimbriate paspalum, winged paspalum, Panama paspalum, Panama crowngrass, Columbia grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Paspalum scrobiculatum | English: rice grass; ditch millet (Fiji); Other: co duru levu, tho nduru levu, tho ndina, tho ni ndina (Fiji); karasi (Solomon Islands) | Poaceae | grass |
| Paspalum urvillei | English: Vasey grass; French: herbe de Vasey, paspalum d'Urville | Poaceae | grass |
| 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 |
| Schinus terebinthifolius | English: Christmas-berry, Brazilian pepper, Brazilian holly, Florida holly; French: faux poivrier, poivre rose; Other: warui (Fiji); wilelaiki (Hawai‘i), naniohilo (Hawai‘i (Moloka‘i)) | Anacardiaceae | tree |
| Sporobolus indicus | English: smutgrass, wiregrass, Indian dropseed; Other: fisihina (Tonga) | Poaceae | grass |
| 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 |
| Syngonium angustatum | English: arrowhead plant, goosefoot plant | Araceae | vine |
| 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 |
| Urena lobata | English: hibiscus burr, aramina, caesarweed, pink Chinese burr, urena burr, bur mallow; French: jute africain, cousin urène; Other: dadangsi, dadangsi apaka, dadangsi machingat, dádangse (Guam); chosuched e kui, osuched a rechui (Palau); karap, korop (Pohnpei); nognuk, ocher (Chuuk); motipo, mosipo (Niue); mautofu, manutofu (American Samoa and Samoa); qatima, gataya, nggatima (Fiji); mo'osipo Tonga (Tonga), piripiri (French Polynesia) | Malvaceae | shrub |
| Urochloa mutica | English: California grass, para grass, buffalo grass, Mauritius grass, signal grass; French: herbe de Para; Other: puakatau (Tonga) (Swarbrick, 1997) | Poaceae | grass |
| Urochloa subquadripara | English: brachiaria, green summer grass, tropical signalgrass, cori grass | Poaceae | grass |
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This page updated 12 December 2001.