Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems

PIER plant species present on Rodrigues Island listed by scientific name

A product of the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER)

Rodrigues Island ]   [ Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues) ]   [ Mauritius ]   [ Indian Ocean region ]

This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur on Rodrigues Island. 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 auriculiformis   (Fabaceae)   tree No
Acacia nilotica   (Fabaceae) Acacia adansonii Guill. & Perr.; Acacia adstringens (Schumach.) Berhaut; Acacia arabica (Lam.) Willd.; Acacia scorpioides (L.) W. Wight; Mimosa nilotica L.; Vachellia nilotica (L.) P. J. H. Hurter & Mabb. tree No
Adenanthera pavonina   (Fabaceae)   tree No
Aeschynomene indica   (Fabaceae)   herb No
Albizia lebbeck   (Fabaceae) Acacia lebbeck L. (or Blanco); Mimosa lebbeck L. tree No
Alysicarpus vaginalis   (Fabaceae) Alysicarpus nummularifolius auct.; Hedysarum vaginale L. herb No
Ammannia baccifera   (Lythraceae) Ammannia aegyptiaca Willd. herb No
Asystasia gangetica   (Acanthaceae) Asystasia coromandeliana Nees; Justicia gangetica L.; Ruellia zeylanica J. Koenig ex Roxb. herb No
Barleria prionitis   (Acanthaceae)   shrub No
Bauhinia monandra   (Fabaceae) Bauhinia kappleri Sagot; Bauhinia krugii Urb. tree No
Caesalpinia bonduc   (Fabaceae) Caesalpinia bonducella (L.) Fleming; Guilandina bonduc L. vine No
Caesalpinia decapetala   (Fabaceae) Caesalpinia japonica Siebold & Zucc.; Caesalpinia septaria Roxb.; Reichardia decapetala Roth shrub No
Caesalpinia pulcherrima   (Fabaceae) Poinciana pulcherrima L. shrub/tree No
Cajanus cajan   (Fabaceae) Cajanus bicolor DC.; Cajanus indicus Spreng.; Cytisus cajan L. shrub No
Cajanus scarabaeoides   (Fabaceae) Atylosia scarabaeoides (L.) Benth.; Cantharospermum scarabaeoides (L.) Baill. vine No
Clitoria ternatea   (Fabaceae) Clitoria albiflora Mattei; Clitoria bracteata Poir.; Clitoria mearnsii De Wild. vine No
Crotalaria retusa   (Fabaceae)   herb No
Delonix regia   (Fabaceae) Poinciana regia Bojer tree No
Desmanthus pernambucanus   (Fabaceae) Mimosa pernambucana L. herb No
Desmodium adscendens   (Fabaceae) Desmodium ovalifolium Guill. & Perr.; Hedysarum adscendens Sw.; Meibomia adscendens (Sw.) Kuntze herb No
Desmodium triflorum   (Fabaceae) Meibomia triflora (L.) Kuntze herb No
Gliricidia sepium   (Fabaceae) Gliricidia maculata (Kunth) Kunth ex Walp. tree No
Gomphocarpus physocarpus   (Apocynaceae) Asclepias brasiliensis (E. Fourn.) Schltr.; Asclepias physocarpa (E. Mey.) Schlechter; Gomphocarpus brasiliensis E. Fourn. shrub No
Haematoxylum campechianum   (Fabaceae)   tree No
Indigofera suffruticosa   (Fabaceae) Indigofera anil L. shrub No
Justicia gendarussa   (Acanthaceae) Gendarussa vulgaris Nees herb No
Lantana camara   (Verbenaceae)   shrub No
Leucaena leucocephala   (Fabaceae) Acacia glauca Willd.; Leucaena glauca auct.; Mimosa leucocephala Lam. tree No
Ligustrum robustum   (Oleaceae) Ligustrum walkeri Decne. shrub/tree No
Litsea glutinosa   (Lauraceae) Litsea laurifolia (Jacq.) F. M. Bailey; Sebifera glutinosa Lour.; Tetranthera laurifolia Jacq. tree No
Macroptilium atropurpureum   (Fabaceae) Phaseolus atropurpureus DC. vine No
Mimosa pudica   (Fabaceae)   herb No
Mimusops coriacea   (Sapotaceae) Imbricaria coriacea A. DC. tree No
Neonotonia wightii   (Fabaceae) Glycine javanica auct.; Glycine wightii (Wight & Arnott.) Verdc.; Notonia wightii Graham ex Wight & Arn. vine No
Phaseolus lunatus   (Fabaceae)   herb No
Pithecellobium dulce   (Fabaceae) Mimosa dulcis Roxb. tree No
Pithecellobium unguis-cati   (Fabaceae) Mimosa unguis-cati L.; Pithecellobium pulchellum Pittier; Zygia unguis-cati (L.) Sudw. tree No
Psidium cattleianum   (Myrtaceae) Psidium cattleyanum Sabine; Psidium littorale Raddi; Psidium littorale Raddi var. longipes (O. Berg) Fosb. tree No
Ravenala madagascariensis   (Strelitziaceae)   tree Yes
Rhynchosia minima   (Fabaceae)   herb No
Senna occidentalis   (Fabaceae) Cassia occidentalis L. shrub No
Senna surattensis   (Fabaceae) Cassia surattensis N.L. Burm tree No
Senna tora   (Fabaceae) Cassia tora L. herb No
Sesbania sesban   (Fabaceae) Aeschynomene sesban L.; Sesban aegyptiacus Poir.; Sesbania aegyptiaca (Poir.) Pers. shrub No
Stylosanthes guianensis   (Fabaceae) Stylosanthes erecta Beauv.; Stylosanthes gracilis Kunth; Stylosanthes guineensis Schumacher; Trifolium guianense Aublet herb No
Syzygium jambos   (Myrtaceae) Caryophyllus jambos (L.) Stokes; Eugenia jambos L. tree No
Tabebuia pallida   (Bignoniaceae) Bignonia pallida Lindl. tree No
Tephrosia candida   (Fabaceae)   shrub No
Thunbergia fragrans   (Acanthaceae)   vine No
Vachellia farnesiana   (Fabaceae) Mimosa farnesiana L. shrub No
Vicia sativa subsp. nigra   (Fabaceae)   herb No
Wikstroemia indica   (Thymelaeaceae)   shrub No

Need more info?  Have questions?  Comments?  Information to contribute?  Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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