Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems

PIER plant species present on Sarigan 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 Sarigan 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?
Abutilon indicum   (Malvaceae) Sida indica L. shrub No
Acacia confusa   (Fabaceae)   tree No
Ageratum conyzoides   (Asteraceae)   herb No
Alocasia macrorrhizos   (Araceae) Alocasia indica Schott; Alocasia plumbea Van Houtte; Arum indicum Lour.; Arum macrorrhizon L.; Colocasia indica (Lour.) Kunth herb No
Amaranthus viridis   (Amaranthaceae) Amaranthus gracilis Desf., nom. nud. herb No
Angiopteris evecta   (Marattiaceae) Polypodium evecta G. Forst. fern No
Blechum pyramidatum   (Acanthaceae) Barleria pyramidatum (Lam.) Urb.; Blechum brownei Juss.; Ruellia blechum L. herb No
Calopogonium mucunoides   (Fabaceae) Stenolobium brachycarpum Benth. vine No
Capsicum frutescens   (Solanaceae)   herb No
Catharanthus roseus   (Apocynaceae) Lochnera rosea (L.) Reichb. ex Steud.; Vinca rosea L. herb No
Centella asiatica   (Apiaceae) Hydrocotyle asiatica L. herb No
Chamaesyce hirta   (Euphorbiaceae) Euphorbia hirta L. herb No
Chloris barbata   (Poaceae) Chloris inflata Link; Chloris paraguayensis Steud. grass No
Chrysopogon aciculatus   (Poaceae)   grass No
Citrus aurantiifolia   (Rutaceae)   tree No
Commelina benghalensis   (Commelinaceae)   herb No
Crotalaria pallida   (Fabaceae) Crotalaria mucronata Desv.; Crotalaria striata DC. shrub 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
Cyperus cyperinus   (Cyperaceae) Mariscus cyperinus (Retz.) Vahl sedge No
Digitaria ciliaris   (Poaceae) Digitaria adscendens (Kunth) Henrard grass No
Eleusine indica   (Poaceae)   grass No
Eragrostis amabilis   (Poaceae) Eragrostis tenella (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. grass No
Gomphrena globosa   (Amaranthaceae)   herb No
Heliotropium indicum   (Boraginaceae)   herb No
Hyptis pectinata   (Lamiaceae)   herb No
Ipomoea batatas   (Convolvulaceae)   vine No
Ipomoea indica   (Convolvulaceae) Convolvulus indicus Burm.; Ipomoea acuminata (Vahl) Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea cathartica Poir.; Ipomoea learii Paxton vine No
Jatropha gossypiifolia   (Euphorbiaceae) Adenoropium gossypiifolium (L.) Pohl. shrub No
Kyllinga nemoralis   (Cyperaceae) Cyperus kyllingia Endl.; Kyllinga cephalotes (Jacq.) Druce; Kyllinga monocephala Rottb. sedge No
Leucaena leucocephala   (Fabaceae) Leucaena glauca (L. ex Willd.) Benth. tree No
Nicotiana tabacum   (Solanaceae)   herb No
Operculina ventricosa   (Convolvulaceae) Operculina turpethum (L.) Silva Manso var. ventricosa (Bertero) Austin & Staples vine No
Oplismenus compositus   (Poaceae) Panicum compositum L. grass No
Oplismenus hirtellus   (Poaceae) Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. setarius (Lam.) Mez ex Ekman; Oplismenus setarius (Lam.) Roem. & Schult. grass No
Oxalis corniculata   (Oxalidaceae) Oxalis repens Thunb. herb No
Paspalum conjugatum   (Poaceae)   grass No
Passiflora foetida   (Passifloraceae)   vine No
Phyllanthus amarus   (Phyllanthaceae) Phyllanthus niruri sensu various Pacific botanists. herb No
Physalis angulata   (Solanaceae) Physalis lanceifolia Nees herb No
Physalis minima   (Solanaceae) Physalis lagascae R. & S. herb No
Pithecellobium dulce   (Fabaceae) Mimosa dulcis Roxb. tree No
Portulaca oleracea   (Portulacaceae)   herb No
Psidium guajava   (Myrtaceae)   tree No
Ricinus communis   (Euphorbiaceae)   shrub No
Senna occidentalis   (Fabaceae) Cassia occidentalis L. shrub No
Sida acuta   (Malvaceae)   herb No
Sida rhombifolia   (Malvaceae) Sida microphylla Cav. shrub No
Stictocardia tiliifolia   (Convolvulaceae)   vine No
Synedrella nodiflora   (Asteraceae)   herb No
Trema orientalis   (Cannabaceae) Trema cannabina Lour.; Trema cannabinum Lour.; Trema orientale (L.) Blume; Trema tomentosum (Roxb.) H. Hara tree No
Urena lobata   (Malvaceae) Urena sinuata L. shrub No
Xanthosoma sagittifolium   (Araceae) Arum sagittifolium L.; Caladium sagittifolium (L.) Vent. herb No
Zoysia matrella   (Poaceae) Agrostis matrella L.; Osterdamia matrella (L.) Kuntze; Zoysia pungens Willd. 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.