Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems

PIER plant species present on Tabuaeran (Fanning) Atoll listed by scientific name

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

Tabuaeran (Fanning) Atoll ]   [ Line Islands ]   [ Kiribati ]   [ Pacific region ]

This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur on Tabuaeran (Fanning) 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?
Achyranthes aspera   (Amaranthaceae)   herb No
Agave sisalana   (Asparagaceae)   succulent No
Annona squamosa   (Annonaceae) Annona asiatica L. tree No
Antigonon leptopus   (Polygonaceae)   vine No
Asclepias curassavica   (Apocynaceae)   herb No
Bauhinia monandra   (Fabaceae) Bauhinia kappleri Sagot; Bauhinia krugii Urb. tree No
Bidens pilosa   (Asteraceae)   herb No
Breynia disticha   (Phyllanthaceae) Breynia nivosa (W. Bull) Small; Phyllanthus nivosus W. G. Sm. shrub No
Caesalpinia pulcherrima   (Fabaceae) Poinciana pulcherrima L. shrub/tree No
Casuarina equisetifolia   (Casuarinaceae) Casuarina litorea L. ex Fosberg & Sachet tree No
Cenchrus echinatus   (Poaceae)   grass No
Citrullus lanatus   (Cucurbitaceae) Citrullus aedulis Pangalo; Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. vine No
Citrus aurantiifolia   (Rutaceae) Citrus acida Roxb.; Citrus lima Lunan; Limonia aurantiifolia Christm. tree No
Colocasia esculenta   (Araceae) Arum esculentum L.; Caladium esculentum (L.) Vent.; Colocasia antiquorum Schott herb No
Conyza bonariensis   (Asteraceae) Erigeron bonariensis L.; Erigeron crispus Pourr. herb No
Crinum asiaticum   (Amaryllidaceae) Crinum amabile Donn ex Ker Gawl. herb No
Crotalaria retusa   (Fabaceae)   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
Cynodon dactylon   (Poaceae)   grass No
Cyperus rotundus   (Cyperaceae) Chlorocyperus rotundus (L.) Palla; Cyperus tetrastachyos Desf. sedge No
Dactyloctenium aegyptium   (Poaceae) Cynosurus aegyptius L.; Eleusine aegyptiaca (L.) Desf. grass No
Desmodium triflorum   (Fabaceae) Meibomia triflora (L.) Kuntze 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
Euphorbia cyathophora   (Euphorbiaceae) Poinsettia cyathophora (Murray) Klotzsch & Garcke herb No
Euphorbia hirta   (Euphorbiaceae) Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp.; Euphorbia pilulifera L. herb No
Euphorbia prostrata   (Euphorbiaceae) Chamaesyce prostrata (Aiton) Small herb No
Ficus carica   (Moraceae)   tree No
Gloriosa superba   (Colchicaceae) Gloriosa abyssinica A. Rich.; Gloriosa simplex auct.; Gloriosa speciosa (Hochst.) Engl.; Gloriosa virescens Lindl. herb No
Ipomoea violacea   (Convolvulaceae) Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don vine No
Kalanchoe pinnata   (Crassulaceae) Bryophyllum calycinum Salisb.; Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken; Crassula pinnata L. f. succulent No
Lantana camara   (Verbenaceae)   shrub No
Leucaena leucocephala   (Fabaceae) Acacia glauca Willd.; Leucaena glauca auct.; Mimosa leucocephala Lam. tree No
Livistona chinensis   (Arecaceae) Latania chinensis Jacq.; Livistona oliviformis (Hassk.) Mart.; Livistona subglobosa (Hassk.) Mart. tree 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. Hubb.; Rhynchelytrum roseum (Nees) Stapf & C. E. Hubb.; Tricholaena repens (Willd.) Hitchc.; Tricholaena rosea Nees grass No
Merremia dissecta   (Convolvulaceae) Convolvulus dissectus Jacq.; Ipomoea dissecta (Jacq.) Pursh; Ipomoea sinuata Ortega vine No
Mirabilis jalapa   (Nyctaginaceae)   herb No
Nerium oleander   (Apocynaceae) Nerium indicum Mill.; Nerium odorum Aiton shrub No
Nicotiana tabacum   (Solanaceae)   herb No
Ocimum basilicum   (Lamiaceae)   herb No
Passiflora foetida   (Passifloraceae)   vine No
Phoenix dactylifera   (Arecaceae)   tree No
Phyllanthus amarus   (Phyllanthaceae) Phyllanthus niruri sensu various Pacific botanists herb No
Pluchea carolinensis   (Asteraceae) Conyza carolinensis Jacq.; Pluchea symphytifolia auct. 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
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
Waltheria indica   (Malvaceae) Waltheria americana L. shrub No

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

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