Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems

PIER plant species present on Ifalik (Ifaluk) Atoll listed by scientific name

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

Ifalik (Ifaluk) Atoll ]   [ Yap Islands ]   [ Federated States of Micronesia ]   [ Pacific region ]

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

Need more info?  Have questions?  Comments?  Information to contribute?  Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was last regenerated on 26FEB2019.