This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. 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? |
| Acacia farnesiana (Fabaceae) | Mimosa farnesiana L.; Vachellia farnesiana (L.) Wight & Arn. | shrub | No |
| Acalypha indica (Euphorbiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Acalypha lanceolata (Euphorbiaceae) | Acalypha boehmerioides Miq. | herb | No |
| Achyranthes aspera (Amaranthaceae) | Achyranthes canescens R. Br. | herb | No |
| Allophylus cobbe (Sapindaceae) | Rhus cobbe L. | tree | No |
| Alysicarpus vaginalis (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
| Annona reticulata (Annonaceae) | tree | No | |
| Asclepias curassavica (Apocynaceae) | herb | No | |
| Asystasia gangetica (Acanthaceae) | Justicia gangetica L. | herb | No |
| Austroeupatorium inulifolium (Asteraceae) | Austroeupatorium inulaefolium (H.B.K.) R. M. King & H. Rob.; Eupatorium inulifolium Kunth | herb | No |
| Bothriochloa bladhii (Poaceae) | Andropogon bladhii Retz.; Andropogon intermedius R. Br.; Bothriochloa caucasica (Trin.) C.E. Hubbard; Dichanthium bladhii (Retz.) Clayton | grass | No |
| Brassica juncea (Brassicaceae) | herb | No | |
| Breynia disticha (Phyllanthaceae) | Breynia nivosa (W. Bull) Small; Phyllanthus nivosus W. G. Sm. (also varieties and cultivars) | shrub | No |
| Caesalpinia bonduc (Fabaceae) | vine | No | |
| Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarinaceae) | Casuarina litorea L. var. litorea; Casuarina littorea Rumph. | tree | No |
| Cenchrus ciliaris (Poaceae) | Pennisetum cenchroides (L.)Rich.; Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Lk. | grass | No |
| Cenchrus echinatus (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Chloris barbata (Poaceae) | Chloris inflata Link; Chloris paraguayensis Steud. | grass | No |
| Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae) | Eupatorium odoratum L. | shrub | No |
| Chrysopogon aciculatus (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Cleome gynandra (Cleomaceae) | herb | No | |
| Conyza bonariensis (Asteraceae) | Erigeron bonariense L.; Erigeron floribundus Schultz-Bip. | herb | No |
| Crinum asiaticum (Amaryllidaceae) | Crinum amabile Donn ex Ker Gawl. | herb | No |
| Crotalaria retusa (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
| Cyanthillium cinereum (Asteraceae) | Blumea chinensis (L.) DC.; Conyza chinensis L.; Conyza cinerea L.; Senecioides cinerea (L.) Kuntze ex Britt. & Wilson; Serratula cinerea (L.) Roxb.; Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less.; Vernonia cinerea var. parviflora (Reinw.) DC. | herb | No |
| Cynodon dactylon (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Dactyloctenium aegyptium (Poaceae) | Eleusine aegyptiaca (L.) Desf. | grass | No |
| Desmodium triflorum (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
| Eleusine indica (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Eleutheranthera ruderalis (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Emilia sonchifolia (Asteraceae) | Emilia javanica (Burm. f.) C. B. Rob. | herb | No |
| Eragrostis amabilis (Poaceae) | Eragrostis tenella (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. | grass | No |
| Euphorbia cyathophora (Euphorbiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Euphorbia hirta (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp. | herb | No |
| Euphorbia prostrata (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce prostrata (Aiton) Small | herb | No |
| Hippobroma longiflora (Campanulaceae) | Isotoma longiflora (L.) C. Presl; Laurentia longiflora (L.) Endl. | herb | No |
| Imperata cylindrica (Poaceae) | Imperata arundinacea Cyr. | grass | No |
| Indigofera hirsuta (Fabaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
| Kalanchoe pinnata (Crassulaceae) | Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken; Crassula pinnata L. f. | succulent | No |
| Laportea aestuans (Urticaceae) | Urtica aestuans L. | herb | No |
| Lepidium virginicum (Brassicaceae) | herb | No | |
| Leucaena leucocephala (Fabaceae) | Leucaena glauca (L. ex Willd.) Benth. | tree | No |
| Macroptilium atropurpureum (Fabaceae) | Phaseolus atropurpureus DC. | vine | No |
| Muntingia calabura (Muntinginaceae) | tree | No | |
| Oldenlandia corymbosa (Rubiaceae) | Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam. | herb | No |
| Panicum repens (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Paspalum vaginatum (Poaceae) | Palspalum distichum sensu auct. non L. | grass | No |
| Passiflora foetida (Passifloraceae) | vine | No | |
| Phyla nodiflora (Verbenaceae) | Lippia nodiflora (L.) Michx.; Lippia repens Spreng. | herb | No |
| Phyllanthus amarus (Phyllanthaceae) | Phyllanthus niruri sensu various Pacific botanists. | herb | No |
| Physalis minima (Solanaceae) | Physalis lagascae R. & S. | herb | No |
| Portulaca oleracea (Portulacaceae) | herb | No | |
| Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) | tree | No | |
| Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Rivina humilis (Phytolaccaceae) | Rivina laevis L. | herb | No |
| Samanea saman (Fabaceae) | Albizia saman (Jacaq.) F. v. Muell.; Pithecellobium saman (Jacq.) Benth. | tree | No |
| Sauropus androgynus (Euphorbiaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Scoparia dulcis (Plantaginaceae) | herb | No | |
| Senna occidentalis (Fabaceae) | Cassia occidentalis L. | shrub | No |
| Sesbania cannabina (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
| Sesbania grandiflora (Fabaceae) | Agati grandiflora Desv. | tree | No |
| Sida acuta (Malvaceae) | herb | No | |
| Solanum americanum (Solanaceae) | Solanum nigrum var. americanum (Mill.) O.E. Schulz | herb | No |
| Sonchus oleraceus (Asteraceae) | Sonchus asper sensu various authors. | herb | No |
| Sorghum bicolor (Poaceae) | Holcus bicolor L.; Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf [= Sorghum bicolor nothosubsp. drummondii] | grass | No |
| Spermacoce remota (Rubiaceae) | Borreria laevis sensu various authors.; Spermacoce assurgens Ruiz & Pav. | herb | No |
| Sporobolus indicus (Poaceae) | Agrostis indica L.; Axonopus poiretii Roem. & Schult.; Sporobolus fertilis (Steud.) Clayton [= Sporobolus indicus var. major]; Sporobolus poiretii (Roem. & Schult.) Hitchc. | grass | No |
| Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Verbenaceae) | herb | No | |
| Striga angustifolia (Orobanchaceae) | Buchnera angustifolia D. Don | herb | No |
| Synedrella nodiflora (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Tradescantia spathacea (Commelinaceae) | Rhoeo discolor Hance ex Walp.; Rhoeo spathacea (Sw.) Stearn; Tradescantia discolor L'Hér. | herb | No |
| Tridax procumbens (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Triphasia trifolia (Rutaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Turnera ulmifolia (Passifloraceae) | herb | No | |
| Urochloa brizantha (Poaceae) | Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf; Panicum brizanthum (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) | grass | No |
| Zoysia matrella (Poaceae) | Agrostis matrella L.; Osterdamia matrella (L.) Kuntze; Zoysia pungens Willd. | grass | No |