This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur in the Northern Cook 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? |
| Abutilon indicum (Malvaceae) | Sida indica L. | shrub | No |
| Acacia mangium (Fabaceae) | tree | No | |
| Alocasia macrorrhizos (Araceae) | Alocasia indica Schott; Alocasia plumbea Van Houtte; Arum indicum Lour.; Arum macrorrhizon L.; Colocasia indica (Lour.) Kunth | herb | No |
| Alternanthera brasiliana (Amaranthaceae) | Gomphrena brasiliana L. | herb | No |
| Annona muricata (Annonaceae) | tree | No | |
| Annona squamosa (Annonaceae) | tree | No | |
| Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Bryophyllum pinnatum (Crassulaceae) | Kalanchoë pinnata Pers. | succulent | No |
| Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Fabaceae) | Poinciana pulcherrima L. | shrub/tree | No |
| Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarinaceae) | Casuarina litorea L. var. litorea; Casuarina littorea Rumph. | tree | No |
| Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae) | Lochnera rosea (L.) Reichb. ex Steud.; Vinca rosea L. | herb | No |
| Cenchrus echinatus (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Chamaesyce hirta (Euphorbiaceae) | Euphorbia hirta L. | herb | No |
| Chamaesyce hypericifolia (Euphorbiaceae) | Euphorbia glomifera Millsp.; Euphorbia hypericifolia L. | herb | No |
| Chamaesyce prostrata (Euphorbiaceae) | Euphorbia prostrata Aiton | herb | No |
| Chloris barbata (Poaceae) | Chloris inflata Link; Chloris paraguayensis Steud. | grass | No |
| Citrullus lanatus (Cucurbitaceae) | Citrullus aedulis Pangalo; Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. | vine | No |
| Citrus aurantiifolia (Rutaceae) | tree | No | |
| Citrus limon (Rutaceae) | Citrus limonum 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 |
| Colocasia esculenta (Araceae) | herb | No | |
| Commelina diffusa (Commelinaceae) | herb | No | |
| Cryptostegia madagascariensis (Apocynaceae) | vine | 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 difformis (Cyperaceae) | sedge | No | |
| Cyperus rotundus (Cyperaceae) | Chlorocyperus rotundus (L.) Palla; Cyperus purpuro-variegatus Boeckeler; Cyperus stoloniferum pallidus Boeckeler; Cyperus tetrastachyos Desf.; Cyperus tuberosus Roxb | sedge | No |
| Dieffenbachia seguine (Araceae) | Arum seguine Jacq.; Dieffenbachia maculata (Lodd.) G. Don; Dieffenbachia picta Schott | herb | No |
| Digitaria ciliaris (Poaceae) | Digitaria adscendens (Kunth) Henrard | grass | No |
| Echinochloa colona (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Eclipta prostrata (Asteraceae) | Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk.; Verbesina alba L. | herb | No |
| Eleocharis geniculata (Cyperaceae) | sedge | 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 |
| Eugenia uniflora (Myrtaceae) | shrub/tree | No | |
| Euphorbia cyathophora (Euphorbiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Euphorbia tirucalli (Euphorbiaceae) | tree | No | |
| Ficus carica (Moraceae) | tree | No | |
| Gloriosa superba (Colchicaceae) | herb | No | |
| Gomphrena globosa (Amaranthaceae) | herb | No | |
| Hoya australis (Apocynaceae) | Hoya dalrympliana F. Muell. | vine | No |
| Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae) | vine | No | |
| Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
| Kyllinga brevifolia (Cyperaceae) | Cyperus brevifolius (Rottb.) Endl. ex Hassk. | sedge | No |
| Kyllinga nemoralis (Cyperaceae) | Cyperus kyllingia Endl.; Kyllinga cephalotes (Jacq.) Druce; Kyllinga monocephala Rottb. | sedge | No |
| Ludwigia octovalvis (Onagraceae) | Jussiaea erecta sensu various authors.; Jussiaea suffruticosa L. | herb | No |
| Malvaviscus arboreus (Malvaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae) | tree | No | |
| Mirabilis jalapa (Nyctaginaceae) | herb | No | |
| Muntingia calabura (Muntinginaceae) | tree | No | |
| Nerium oleander (Apocynaceae) | Nerium indicum Mill. | shrub | No |
| Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae) | herb | No | |
| Ocimum basilicum (Lamiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Paspalum conjugatum (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Paspalum vaginatum (Poaceae) | Palspalum distichum sensu auct. non L. | grass | No |
| Pedilanthus tithymaloides (Euphorbiaceae) | Euphorbia tithymaloides L. | herb | No |
| Pentas lanceolata (Rubiaceae) | Mussaenda luteola Delile; Ophiorrhiza lanceolata Forssk. | herb | No |
| Phyllanthus amarus (Phyllanthaceae) | Phyllanthus niruri sensu various Pacific botanists. | herb | No |
| Physalis angulata (Solanaceae) | Physalis lanceifolia Nees | herb | No |
| Pilea microphylla (Urticaceae) | herb | No | |
| Pluchea carolinensis (Asteraceae) | Conyza carolinensis Jacq.; Pluchea symphytifolia auct. | shrub | No |
| Pluchea indica (Asteraceae) | shrub | No | |
| Pseuderanthemum carruthersii (Acanthaceae) | Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum (W. Bull) Radlk.; Pseuderanthemum reticulatum Radlk. | shrub | No |
| Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) | tree | No | |
| Sansevieria trifasciata (Asparagaceae) | herb | No | |
| Sida rhombifolia (Malvaceae) | Sida microphylla Cav. | shrub | No |
| Solanum americanum (Solanaceae) | Solanum nigrum var. americanum (Mill.) O.E. Schulz | herb | No |
| Solanum lycopersicum (Solanaceae) | Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.; Lycopersicon lycopersicum (L.) Karst. | herb | No |
| Solenostemon scutellarioides (Lamiaceae) | Coleus blumei Benth.; Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth.; Ocimum scutellarioides (L.); Plectranthus scutellarioides(L.) R. Br. | herb | No |
| Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae) | tree | 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 cayennensis (Verbenaceae) | Stachytarpheta dichotoma (Ruiz & Pav.) Vahl.; Stachytarpheta urticaefolia (Salisb.) Sims; Stachytarpheta urticifolia (Salisb.) Sims | herb | No |
| Syngonium angustatum (Araceae) | vine | No | |
| Tagetes patula (Asteraceae) | Tagetes lunulata Ortega | herb | No |
| Talinum paniculatum (Portulacaceae) | Portulaca paniculatum Jacq. | herb | No |
| Tradescantia spathacea (Commelinaceae) | Rhoeo discolor Hance ex Walp.; Rhoeo spathacea (Sw.) Stearn; Tradescantia discolor L'Hér. | herb | No |
| Tribulus cistoides (Zygophyllaceae) | herb | No | |
| Urochloa glumaris (Poaceae) | Brachiaria paspaloides (Presl) Hubbard; Panicum glumare Trin.; Urochloa paspaloides Presl | grass | No |
| Xanthosoma sagittifolium (Araceae) | Arum sagittifolium L.; Caladium sagittifolium (L.) Vent. | herb | No |