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 |