This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur on Ifalik (Ifaluk) Atoll. 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.; Hibiscus abelmoschus L.; Hibiscus sagittifolius Kurz | herb | No |
Achyranthes aspera (Amaranthaceae) | herb | No | |
Alocasia macrorrhizos (Araceae) | Alocasia indica (Lour.) Spach; Alocasia plumbea Van Houtte; Arum indicum Lour.; Arum macrorrhizon L.; Colocasia indica (Lour.) Kunth | herb | No |
Alternanthera sessilis (Amaranthaceae) | Achyranthes sessilis (L.) Besser; Alternanthera glabra Moq.; Gomphrena sessilis L. | herb | No |
Annona reticulata (Annonaceae) | Annona lutescens Saff. | tree | No |
Asclepias curassavica (Apocynaceae) | herb | No | |
Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Fabaceae) | Poinciana pulcherrima L. | shrub/tree | No |
Canna x generalis (Cannaceae) | herb | No | |
Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae) | herb | No | |
Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae) | Lochnera rosea (L.) Reichb. ex Steud.; Vinca rosea L. | herb | No |
Cenchrus brownii (Poaceae) | Cenchrus inflexus R. Br.; Cenchrus viridis Spreng. | grass | No |
Centella asiatica (Apiaceae) | Hydrocotyle asiatica L.; Hydrocotyle erecta L. f. | herb | No |
Citrus aurantiifolia (Rutaceae) | Citrus acida Roxb.; Citrus lima Lunan; Limonia aurantiifolia Christm. | tree | No |
Citrus limon (Rutaceae) | Citrus limonum Risso | tree | No |
Colocasia esculenta (Araceae) | Arum esculentum L.; Caladium esculentum (L.) Vent.; Colocasia antiquorum Schott | herb | No |
Commelina diffusa (Commelinaceae) | herb | No | |
Crinum asiaticum (Amaryllidaceae) | Crinum amabile Donn ex Ker Gawl. | herb | 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 |
Cyperus haspan (Cyperaceae) | Cyperus halpan L. [incorrect spelling] | sedge | No |
Dioscorea bulbifera (Dioscoreaceae) | Dioscorea latifolia Benth. | vine | No |
Echinochloa crus-galli (Poaceae) | Panicum crus-galli L. | grass | No |
Eclipta prostrata (Asteraceae) | Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk.; Eclipta erecta L.; Eclipta punctata L.; Verbesina alba L.; Verbesina prostrata L. | herb | No |
Eleusine indica (Poaceae) | Cynosurus indicus L.; Eleusine japonica Steud. | grass | No |
Eragrostis amabilis (Poaceae) | Eragrostis plumosa (Retz.) Link; Eragrostis tenella (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult.; Poa tenella L. | grass | No |
Fimbristylis littoralis (Cyperaceae) | Fimbristylis miliacea auct. | sedge | No |
Gomphrena globosa (Amaranthaceae) | herb | No | |
Hedychium coronarium (Zingiberaceae) | herb | No | |
Heliotropium foertherianum (Boraginaceae) | Argusia argentea (L. f.) Heine; Messerschmidia argentea (L. f.) I.M. Johnst.; Tournefortia argentea Linnaeus filius | shrub/tree | No |
Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus batatas L. | vine | No |
Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
Ischaemum polystachyum (Poaceae) | Ischaemum digitatum Brongn. | grass | No |
Kyllinga brevifolia (Cyperaceae) | Cyperus brevifolius (Rottb.) Endl. ex Hassk. | sedge | No |
Kyllinga nemoralis (Cyperaceae) | Cyperus kyllingia Endl.; Kyllinga monocephala Rottb. | sedge | No |
Lindernia antipoda (Linderniaceae) | Ruellia antipoda L. | herb | No |
Ludwigia octovalvis (Onagraceae) | Jussiaea erecta sensu various authors; Jussiaea suffruticosa L. | herb | No |
Mirabilis jalapa (Nyctaginaceae) | herb | No | |
Muntingia calabura (Muntinginaceae) | tree | No | |
Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae) | herb | No | |
Oplismenus compositus (Poaceae) | Panicum compositum L. | grass | No |
Paspalum distichum (Poaceae) | Paspalum paspalodes (Michx.) Scribn. | grass | No |
Phyllanthus amarus (Phyllanthaceae) | Phyllanthus niruri sensu various Pacific botanists | herb | No |
Phyllanthus urinaria (Phyllanthaceae) | herb | No | |
Pilea microphylla (Urticaceae) | herb | No | |
Plectranthus scutellarioides (Lamiaceae) | Coleus blumei Benth.; Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth.; Ocimum scutellarioides (L.); Solenostemon scutellarioides (L.) Codd | herb | No |
Polygonum minus (Polygonaceae) | Persicaria minor (Huds.) Opiz | herb | No |
Portulaca oleracea (Portulacaceae) | herb | No | |
Syzygium malaccense (Myrtaceae) | Caryophyllus malaccensis (L.) Stokes; Eugenia malaccensis L. | tree | No |
Tithonia diversifolia (Asteraceae) | Mirasolia diversifolia Hemsl. | shrub | No |
Tradescantia zebrina (Commelinaceae) | Zebrina pendula Schnitzl. | herb | No |
Volkameria inermis (Lamiaceae) | Clerodendrum commersonii (Poir.) Spreng.; Clerodendrum inerme (L.) Gaertn.; Volkameria commersonii Poir. | shrub | No |
Zoysia matrella (Poaceae) | Agrostis matrella L.; Osterdamia matrella (L.) Kuntze; Zoysia pungens Willd. | grass | No |