Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems

PIER plant species present on Olosega Island listed by scientific name

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

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This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur on Olosega 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?
Abelmoschus moschatus   (Malvaceae) Abelmoschus sagittifolius (Kurz) Merr. [=Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. tuberosus]; Hibiscus abelmoschus L.; Hibiscus sagittifolius Kurz [=Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. tuberosus] herb No
Acalypha lanceolata   (Euphorbiaceae) Acalypha boehmerioides Miq. herb No
Achyranthes aspera   (Amaranthaceae) Achyranthes canescens R. Br. herb No
Adenanthera pavonina   (Fabaceae)   tree No
Ageratum conyzoides   (Asteraceae)   herb No
Aleurites moluccana   (Euphorbiaceae) Aleurites moluccanus (L.) Willd.; Aleurites triloba Forst.; Croton moluccanus L. tree No
Allamanda cathartica   (Apocynaceae) Allamanda cathartica cv. 'Hendersonii'; Allamanda hendersonii Bull ex Dombrain vine No
Alocasia macrorrhizos   (Araceae) Alocasia indica Schott; Alocasia plumbea Van Houtte; Arum indicum Lour.; Arum macrorrhizon L.; Colocasia indica (Lour.) Kunth herb No
Alysicarpus vaginalis   (Fabaceae)   herb No
Amaranthus viridis   (Amaranthaceae) Amaranthus gracilis Desf., nom. nud. herb No
Angiopteris evecta   (Marattiaceae) Polypodium evecta G. Forst. fern No
Bischofia javanica   (Phyllanthaceae)   tree No
Bixa orellana   (Bixaceae)   shrub No
Bryophyllum pinnatum   (Crassulaceae) Kalanchoë pinnata Pers. succulent No
Cananga odorata   (Annonaceae)   tree No
Canna indica   (Cannaceae)   herb No
Ceiba pentandra   (Malvaceae)   tree No
Cenchrus echinatus   (Poaceae)   grass No
Centella asiatica   (Apiaceae) Hydrocotyle asiatica L. herb No
Citrus aurantiifolia   (Rutaceae)   tree No
Citrus aurantium   (Rutaceae) Citrus bigarradia Loisel.; Citrus vulgaris Risso tree No
Clerodendrum buchananii var. fallax   (Lamiaceae) Clerodendrum speciosissimum van Geert ex Morren (although there is disagreement as to whether or not these species are synonymous per Smith, 1985). shrub No
Clerodendrum chinense   (Lamiaceae) Clerodendrum fragrans (Hort. ex Vent.) Willd.; Clerodendrum philippinum Schauer shrub No
Clidemia hirta   (Melastomataceae)   shrub No
Colocasia esculenta   (Araceae)   herb No
Commelina diffusa   (Commelinaceae)   herb No
Cyperus cyperinus   (Cyperaceae) Mariscus cyperinus (Retz.) Vahl sedge No
Dactyloctenium aegyptium   (Poaceae) Eleusine aegyptiaca (L.) Desf. grass No
Derris malaccensis   (Fabaceae) Paraderris montana (Benth.) F. Adema vine No
Desmodium heterocarpon   (Fabaceae)   herb No
Desmodium triflorum   (Fabaceae)   herb No
Dioscorea bulbifera   (Dioscoreaceae)   vine No
Eragrostis amabilis   (Poaceae) Eragrostis tenella (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. grass No
Euphorbia cyathophora   (Euphorbiaceae)   herb No
Flacourtia rukam   (Salicaceae)   tree No
Hoya australis   (Apocynaceae) Hoya dalrympliana F. Muell. vine No
Ipomoea violacea   (Convolvulaceae) Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don vine No
Leucaena leucocephala   (Fabaceae) Leucaena glauca (L. ex Willd.) Benth. tree No
Lindernia crustacea   (Linderniaceae)   herb No
Ludwigia octovalvis   (Onagraceae) Jussiaea erecta sensu various authors.; Jussiaea suffruticosa L. herb No
Luffa aegyptiaca   (Cucurbitaceae) Luffa cylindrica (L.) M. Roemer vine No
Mangifera indica   (Anacardiaceae)   tree No
Mikania micrantha   (Asteraceae)   vine No
Oplismenus compositus   (Poaceae) Panicum compositum L. grass No
Oxalis corniculata   (Oxalidaceae) Oxalis repens Thunb. herb No
Paspalum conjugatum   (Poaceae)   grass No
Passiflora foetida   (Passifloraceae)   vine No
Phyllanthus urinaria   (Phyllanthaceae)   herb No
Phyllanthus virgatus   (Phyllanthaceae) Phyllanthus simplex Retz. herb No
Plectranthus amboinicus   (Lamiaceae) Coleus amboinicus Lour.; Salvia officinalis sensu J. W. Parham in Dept. Agr. Fiji Bull. 35 herb No
Portulaca oleracea   (Portulacaceae)   herb No
Psidium guajava   (Myrtaceae)   tree No
Pueraria montana var. lobata   (Fabaceae) Dolichos lobatusWilld.; Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi; Pueraria thunbergiana(Sieb. & Zucc.) Benth.; Pueraria triloba (Houtt.) T. Makino vine No
Ruellia prostrata   (Acanthaceae) Dipteracanthus prostrata (Poir.) Nees herb No
Ruellia tuberosa   (Acanthaceae)   herb No
Sida rhombifolia   (Malvaceae) Sida microphylla Cav. shrub No
Solanum americanum   (Solanaceae) Solanum nigrum var. americanum (Mill.) O.E. Schulz herb No
Stachytarpheta cayennensis   (Verbenaceae) Stachytarpheta dichotoma (Ruiz & Pav.) Vahl.; Stachytarpheta urticaefolia (Salisb.) Sims; Stachytarpheta urticifolia (Salisb.) Sims herb No
Stictocardia tiliifolia   (Convolvulaceae)   vine No
Synedrella nodiflora   (Asteraceae)   herb No
Syzygium malaccense   (Myrtaceae) Caryophyllus malaccensis (L.) Stokes; Eugenia malaccensis L. tree No
Tecoma stans   (Bignoniaceae) Bignonia stans L.; Stenolobium stans Seem. tree No
Triumfetta rhomboidea   (Malvaceae) Triamfetta bartramia L. shrub No
Urochloa glumaris   (Poaceae) Brachiaria paspaloides (Presl) Hubbard; Panicum glumare Trin.; Urochloa paspaloides Presl grass No

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

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This page was last regenerated on 24AUG2011.