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 |