Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems

PIER plant species present on Mehetia (Mahetia, Meetia) Island listed by scientific name

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

Mehetia (Mahetia, Meetia) Island ]   [ Society Islands ]   [ French Polynesia ]   [ Pacific region ]

This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur on Mehetia (Mahetia, Meetia) 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?
Abrus precatorius   (Fabaceae) Glycine abrus L. vine No
Achyranthes aspera   (Amaranthaceae)   herb No
Aleurites moluccana   (Euphorbiaceae) Aleurites remyi Sherff; Aleurites trilobus J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.; Jatropha moluccana L. tree No
Allamanda cathartica   (Apocynaceae) Allamanda cathartica var. hendersonii (W. Bull ex Dombrain) L. H. Bailey & Raffill; Allamanda hendersonii Bull ex Dombrain; Allamanda nobilis T. Moore vine No
Alocasia macrorrhizos   (Araceae) Alocasia indica (Lour.) Spach; Alocasia plumbea Van Houtte; Arum indicum Lour.; Arum macrorrhizon L.; Colocasia indica (Lour.) Kunth herb No
Alysicarpus vaginalis   (Fabaceae) Alysicarpus nummularifolius auct.; Hedysarum vaginale L. herb No
Amaranthus blitum   (Amaranthaceae) Amaranthus lividus L. herb No
Annona muricata   (Annonaceae)   tree No
Annona squamosa   (Annonaceae) Annona asiatica L. tree No
Bidens pilosa   (Asteraceae)   herb No
Casuarina equisetifolia   (Casuarinaceae) Casuarina litorea L. ex Fosberg & Sachet tree No
Catharanthus roseus   (Apocynaceae) Lochnera rosea (L.) Reichb. ex Steud.; Vinca rosea L. herb No
Citrus aurantium   (Rutaceae) Citrus bigarradia Loisel.; Citrus vulgaris Risso tree 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
Cyathula prostrata   (Amaranthaceae) Achyranthes prostrata L.; Desmochaeta prostrata (L.) DC.; Pupalia prostrata (L.) Mart. herb No
Cynodon dactylon   (Poaceae)   grass No
Cyperus compressus   (Cyperaceae)   sedge No
Cyperus cyperinus   (Cyperaceae) Kyllinga cyperina Retz.; Mariscus cyperinus (Retz.) Vahl sedge No
Dactyloctenium aegyptium   (Poaceae) Cynosurus aegyptius L.; Eleusine aegyptiaca (L.) Desf. grass No
Desmodium heterocarpon   (Fabaceae) Desmodium ovalifolium (Prain) Wall. ex Merr.; Desmodium polycarpon (Poir.) DC.; Meibomia heterocarpos (L.) Kuntze herb No
Digitaria ciliaris   (Poaceae) Digitaria adscendens (Kunth) Henrard grass No
Eclipta prostrata   (Asteraceae) Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk.; Eclipta erecta L.; Eclipta punctata L.; Verbesina alba L.; Verbesina prostrata L. herb No
Elephantopus mollis   (Asteraceae)   herb No
Eleusine indica   (Poaceae) Cynosurus indicus L.; Eleusine japonica Steud. grass No
Emilia sonchifolia   (Asteraceae) Emilia javanica (Burm. f.) C. B. Rob. herb No
Eragrostis amabilis   (Poaceae) Eragrostis plumosa (Retz.) Link; Eragrostis tenella (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult.; Poa tenella L. grass No
Euphorbia hirta   (Euphorbiaceae) Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp.; Euphorbia pilulifera L. herb No
Euphorbia thymifolia   (Euphorbiaceae) Chamaesyce thymifolia (L.) Millsp.; Euphorbia microphylla Lam. herb No
Fleurya interrupta   (Urticaceae) Laportea interrupta (L.) Chew; Urtica interrupta L. herb No
Kyllinga nemoralis   (Cyperaceae) Cyperus kyllingia Endl.; Kyllinga monocephala Rottb. sedge No
Malvastrum coromandelianum   (Malvaceae) Malva coromandeliana L.; Malvastrum tricuspidatum A. Gray herb No
Mangifera indica   (Anacardiaceae)   tree No
Nicotiana tabacum   (Solanaceae)   herb 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 scrobiculatum   (Poaceae) Paspalum cartilagineum Presl.; Paspalum orbiculare G. Forst. grass No
Physalis angulata   (Solanaceae) Physalis lanceifolia Nees herb No
Portulaca oleracea   (Portulacaceae)   herb No
Pseudelephantopus spicatus   (Asteraceae) Elephantopus spicatus Juss. ex Aubl. herb No
Sida acuta   (Malvaceae)   herb No
Sigesbeckia orientalis   (Asteraceae) Siegesbeckia orientalis L. herb No
Solanum americanum   (Solanaceae) Solanum nigrum var. americanum (Mill.) O.E. Schulz herb No
Solanum nigrum   (Solanaceae)   herb No
Sonchus oleraceus   (Asteraceae) Sonchus asper sensu various authors herb No
Sporobolus africanus   (Poaceae) Sporobolus indicus (L.) R. Br. var. capensis Engl. grass No
Synedrella nodiflora   (Asteraceae)   herb No
Triumfetta rhomboidea   (Malvaceae) Triamfetta bartramia L. shrub No
Urena lobata   (Malvaceae) Urena sinuata 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)

Mehetia (Mahetia, Meetia) Island ]   [ Society Islands ]   [ French Polynesia ]   [ Pacific region ] [  PIER home  ]

This page was last regenerated on 26FEB2019.