This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur in the Line 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 |
| Achyranthes aspera (Amaranthaceae) | Achyranthes canescens R. Br. | herb | No |
| Agave sisalana (Asparagaceae) | Agave rigida var.sisalana Engelmann | succulent | No |
| Amaranthus hybridus (Amaranthaceae) | herb | No | |
| Amaranthus viridis (Amaranthaceae) | Amaranthus gracilis Desf., nom. nud. | herb | No |
| Annona squamosa (Annonaceae) | tree | No | |
| Antigonon leptopus (Polygonaceae) | vine | No | |
| Asclepias curassavica (Apocynaceae) | herb | No | |
| Bauhinia monandra (Fabaceae) | tree | No | |
| Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Breynia disticha (Phyllanthaceae) | Breynia nivosa (W. Bull) Small; Phyllanthus nivosus W. G. Sm. (also varieties and cultivars) | shrub | No |
| Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Fabaceae) | Poinciana pulcherrima L. | shrub/tree | No |
| Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae) | herb | No | |
| Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarinaceae) | Casuarina litorea L. var. litorea; Casuarina littorea Rumph. | tree | No |
| Cenchrus echinatus (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Citrullus lanatus (Cucurbitaceae) | Citrullus aedulis Pangalo; Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. | vine | No |
| Citrus aurantiifolia (Rutaceae) | tree | No | |
| Citrus aurantium (Rutaceae) | Citrus bigarradia Loisel.; Citrus vulgaris Risso | tree | No |
| Colocasia esculenta (Araceae) | herb | No | |
| Conyza bonariensis (Asteraceae) | Erigeron bonariense L.; Erigeron floribundus Schultz-Bip. | herb | No |
| Crinum asiaticum (Amaryllidaceae) | Crinum amabile Donn ex Ker Gawl. | herb | No |
| Crotalaria retusa (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
| Cuscuta campestris (Convolvulaceae) | 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 compressus (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 |
| Dactyloctenium aegyptium (Poaceae) | Eleusine aegyptiaca (L.) Desf. | grass | No |
| Delonix regia (Fabaceae) | Poinciana regia Bojer ex Hook. | tree | No |
| Desmodium triflorum (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
| Eleusine indica (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Eragrostis amabilis (Poaceae) | Eragrostis tenella (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. | grass | No |
| Eragrostis brownii (Poaceae) | grass | Yes | |
| Eragrostis ciliaris (Poaceae) | Poa ciliaris L. | grass | No |
| Eragrostis pilosa (Poaceae) | Eragrostis multicaulis Steud. | grass | No |
| Euphorbia cyathophora (Euphorbiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Euphorbia hirta (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp. | herb | No |
| Euphorbia hypericifolia (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce glomerifera Millsp.; Chamaesyce hypericifolia (L.) Millsp.; Euphorbia glomifera Millsp. | herb | No |
| Euphorbia prostrata (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce prostrata (Aiton) Small | herb | No |
| Euphorbia thymifolia (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce thymifolia (L.) Millsp.; Euphorbia microphylla Lam.; Euphorbia rubicunda Steud. | herb | No |
| Eustachys petraea (Poaceae) | Chloris petraea Swartz | grass | No |
| Ficus carica (Moraceae) | tree | No | |
| Gloriosa superba (Colchicaceae) | herb | No | |
| Gmelina elliptica (Verbenaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Araliaceae) | herb | No | |
| Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae) | vine | No | |
| Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
| Kalanchoe pinnata (Crassulaceae) | Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken; Crassula pinnata L. f. | succulent | 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 |
| Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Lepidium virginicum (Brassicaceae) | herb | No | |
| Leucaena leucocephala (Fabaceae) | Leucaena glauca (L. ex Willd.) Benth. | tree | No |
| Livistona chinensis (Arecaceae) | tree | No | |
| Ludwigia octovalvis (Onagraceae) | Jussiaea erecta sensu various authors.; Jussiaea suffruticosa L. | herb | No |
| Macroptilium lathyroides (Fabaceae) | Phaseolus lathyroides L. | herb | No |
| Malvastrum coromandelianum (Malvaceae) | Malva coromandeliana L.; Malvastrum tricuspidatum A. Gray | herb | No |
| Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae) | tree | No | |
| Melinis repens (Poaceae) | Rhynchelytrum repens (Willd.) C.E. Hubbard; Tricholaena repens (Willd.) Hitchc.; Tricholaena rosea Nees | grass | No |
| Merremia dissecta (Convolvulaceae) | Ipomoea dissecta (Jacq.) Pursh; Ipomoea sinuata Ortega | vine | No |
| Mirabilis jalapa (Nyctaginaceae) | herb | No | |
| Nerium oleander (Apocynaceae) | Nerium indicum Mill. | shrub | No |
| Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae) | herb | No | |
| Ocimum basilicum (Lamiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Panicum maximum (Poaceae) | Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B. K. Simon & S. W. L. Jacobs; Urochloa maxima (Jacq.) R. Webster | grass | No |
| Passiflora foetida (Passifloraceae) | vine | No | |
| Phoenix dactylifera (Arecaceae) | tree | No | |
| Phyllanthus amarus (Phyllanthaceae) | Phyllanthus niruri sensu various Pacific botanists. | herb | No |
| Physalis angulata (Solanaceae) | Physalis lanceifolia Nees | herb | No |
| Physalis minima (Solanaceae) | Physalis lagascae R. & S. | herb | No |
| Pluchea carolinensis (Asteraceae) | Conyza carolinensis Jacq.; Pluchea symphytifolia auct. | shrub | No |
| Pluchea indica (Asteraceae) | shrub | No | |
| Portulaca oleracea (Portulacaceae) | herb | No | |
| Pseuderanthemum carruthersii (Acanthaceae) | Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum (W. Bull) Radlk.; Pseuderanthemum reticulatum Radlk. | shrub | No |
| Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) | tree | No | |
| Russelia equisetiformis (Plantaginaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Senna occidentalis (Fabaceae) | Cassia occidentalis L. | shrub | No |
| Sida rhombifolia (Malvaceae) | Sida microphylla Cav. | shrub | No |
| Solanum lycopersicum (Solanaceae) | Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.; Lycopersicon lycopersicum (L.) Karst. | herb | No |
| Sonchus oleraceus (Asteraceae) | Sonchus asper sensu various authors. | herb | No |
| Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae) | tree | No | |
| Spermacoce remota (Rubiaceae) | Borreria laevis sensu various authors.; Spermacoce assurgens Ruiz & Pav. | herb | No |
| Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Verbenaceae) | Stachytarpheta dichotoma (Ruiz & Pav.) Vahl.; Stachytarpheta urticaefolia (Salisb.) Sims; Stachytarpheta urticifolia (Salisb.) Sims | herb | No |
| Stenotaphrum secundatum (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Synedrella nodiflora (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae) | Bignonia stans L.; Stenolobium stans Seem. | tree | No |
| Tradescantia spathacea (Commelinaceae) | Rhoeo discolor Hance ex Walp.; Rhoeo spathacea (Sw.) Stearn; Tradescantia discolor L'Hér. | herb | No |
| Tribulus cistoides (Zygophyllaceae) | herb | No | |
| Tridax procumbens (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Waltheria indica (Malvaceae) | Waltheria americana L. | shrub | No |
| Xanthium spinosum (Asteraceae) | herb | No |