Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)


Report on invasive plant species in Palau (2002 survey)


Appendix 4.  Invasive species of environmental concern by location

Table 6.   Invasive species of environmental concern present on the Rock Islands

Scientific name

Common Names (abridged)

Family

Habit

Locations

*Acacia auriculiformis Papuan wattle, auri, earleaf acacia, northern black wattle, ear-pod wattle Fabaceae tree Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
*Agave sp. American aloe, century plant Agavaceae succulent Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
Alternanthera brasiliana Brazilian joyweed, Joseph’s coat Amaranthaceae herb Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
Bothriochloa bladhii blue grass, Australian beardgrass, Caucasian bluestem, desum (Palau) Poaceae grass Bkul a Chesemiich
*Bryophyllum pinnatum life plant, air plant, resurrection plant, Canterbury bells, cathedral bells, Mexican love plant Crassulaceae succulent Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
**Casuarina equisetifolia casuarina, ironwood, Australian pine, she-oak, horsetail tree, beefwood, agas (Palau), agasu (Palau), ngas (Palau), ngasu (Palau) Casuarinaceae tree Most islands
Cenchrus echinatus burr grass, sand-bur, southern sandbur Poaceae grass Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
Chromolaena odorata Siam weed, triffid weed, bitter bush, Jack in the bush, ngesngesil (Palau) Asteraceae shrub Ngidech
Clerodendrum buchananii var. fallax red clerodendrum, pagoda-flower, butcherechár (Palau), butecherechar (Palau) Lamiaceae shrub Aulupse‘el, Ngercheu (Carp Resort), Ngchelobel, Ngeanges, Ngeremdiu, Ngidech, Ulong, Urukthapel
*Clerodendrum quadriloculare bronze-leaved clerodendrum, kleuang (Palau) Lamiaceae shrub Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
Cyperus rotundus nut grass, nutsedge, purple nutsedge, cocograss Cyperaceae sedge Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
Digitaria ciliaris Henry's crabgrass, smooth crabgrass, tropical crab grass, large crab grass, southern crabgrass, fingergrass, summer grass Poaceae grass Ngercheu (Carp Resort), Ngerchong, Ngidech
Eleusine indica goosegrass, wiregrass, goose foot, crow's foot, bullgrass, deskim(Palau), kelelamalk (Palau), keteketarmalk (Palau) Poaceae grass Ngercheu (Carp Resort), Ngeanges, Ngeremdiu, Urukthapel
**Ischaemum polystachyum paddle grass Poaceae grass Aulupse‘el
*Lantana camara lantana Verbenaceae shrub Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
*Leucaena leucocephala leucaena, wild tamarind, lead tree, telengtungd (Palau) Fabaceae tree Ngercheu (Carp Resort), Ngerchong
*Muntingia calabura jam tree, strawberry tree, Jamaican cherry, Singapore cherry, Panama cherry, Panama berry, ornamental cherry, calabura, sirsen, budo (Palau) Tiliaceae tree Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
**†Operculina turpethum Other: ongucheta rekung (Palau) Convolvulaceae vine Aulupse‘el
Paspalum conjugatum T grass, ti grass, sour grass; sour palpalum, buffalo grass, carabao grass, Hilo grass (Hawai'i), udel ra ngebei (Palau) Poaceae grass Ngerchong, Ngeanges, Urukthapel, Ulong
Psidium guajava guava, guabang (Palau), kuabang (Palau) Myrtaceae tree Bkul a Chesemiich, Ngerchong
*Sansevieria trifasciata bowstring hemp, mother-in-law’s tongue, kitelel (Palau) Agavaceae herb Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
**Sporobolus indicus var. major smutgrass, wiregrass, Indian dropseed Poaceae grass Bablomekang, Bkul a Chesemiich, Ngerchong, Ngeanges (Neco)
Stachytarpheta cayennensis blue rat's tail, dark-blue snakeweed, false verbena, nettleleaf velvetberry, louch beluu (Palau) Verbenaceae herb Ngidech, Urukthapel
*?†Syzygium cumini Java plum; jambolan plum, mesegerak (Palau), mesekerrak (Palau), mesekerrák (Palau), mesigerak (Palau) Myrtaceae tree Aulupse‘el
*Tecoma stans yellow bells, yellow-elder, yellow trumpetbush Bignoniaceae small tree Ngerchong
Timonius timon liberal (Palau) Rubiaceae tree Bkul a Chesemiich, Ngercheu (Carp Resort), Ngerchong, Ngchelobel, Ngeanges (Neco)
*Tradescantia spathacea oyster plant, boat plant, boat lily, moses in a boat, kobesos (Palau) Commelinaceae herb Ngercheu (Carp Resort)
*Tradescantia zebrina wandering zebrina, wandering jew, inchplant Commelinaceae herb Ngercheu (Carp Resort)

*Cultivated
**Native/Micronesian introduction
†Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979)


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This page revised 7 April 2009