This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur on New Guinea Island. 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? |
| Acacia aulacocarpa (Fabaceae) | tree | No | |
| Acacia auriculiformis (Fabaceae) | tree | No | |
| Acacia crassicarpa (Fabaceae) | tree | No | |
| Acacia mangium (Fabaceae) | tree | No | |
| Acalypha lanceolata (Euphorbiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Acmella uliginosa (Asteraceae) | Spilanthes uliginosa Sw. | herb | No |
| Basella alba (Basellaceae) | Basella cordifolia Lam.; Basella rubra L. | herb | No |
| Blumea sinuata (Asteraceae) | Blumea laciniata (Roxb.) DC.; Conyza laciniata Roxb.; Gnaphalium sinuatum Lour. | herb | No |
| Bridelia insulana (Phyllanthaceae) | tree | No | |
| Calliandra surinamensis (Fabaceae) | Calliandra tenuiflora Benth. | shrub/tree | No |
| Carallia brachiata (Rhizophoraceae) | Diatoma brachiata Lour.; Petalotoma brachiata (Lour.) DC. | tree | No |
| Cenchrus elegans (Poaceae) | Cenchrus caninus Morrone; Gymnotrix macrostachys Brongn.; Pennisetum macrostachys (Brongn.) Trin.; Saccharum caninum Reinw. ex Blume; Sericura elegans Hassk. | grass | No |
| Ceratophyllum demersum (Ceratophyllaceae) | aquatic herb | No | |
| Cheilocostus speciosus (Costaceae) | Banksea speciosa J. Koenig; Costus sericeus Blume; Costus speciosus (J. Koenig) Sm.; Costus speciosus var. sericeus (Blume) K. Schum. | herb | No |
| Chloris barbata (Poaceae) | Chloris inflata Link; Chloris paraguayensis Steud. | grass | No |
| Combretum indicum (Combretaceae) | Combretum indicum (L.) Jongkind; Kleinia quadricolor Crantz; Mekistus sinensis Loureiro ex B. A. Gomes; Ourouparia enormis Yamamoto; Quisqualis indica L. | vine | No |
| Croton hirtus (Euphorbiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Cyathula prostrata (Amaranthaceae) | Achyranthes prostrata L.; Desmochaeta prostrata (L.) DC.; Pupalia prostrata (L.) Mart. | herb | No |
| Derris malaccensis (Fabaceae) | Paraderris malaccensis (Benth.) Adema; Paraderris montana (Benth.) F. Adema | vine | No |
| Digitaria bicornis (Poaceae) | Digitaria commutata Schult.; Paspalum bicorne Lam. | grass | No |
| Eragrostis amabilis (Poaceae) | Eragrostis plumosa (Retz.) Link; Eragrostis tenella (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult.; Poa tenella L. | grass | No |
| Eragrostis curvula (Poaceae) | Eragrostis chloromelas Steud.; Eragrostis subulata Nees | grass | No |
| Euphorbia prostrata (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce prostrata (Aiton) Small | herb | No |
| Gymnosporia emarginata (Celastraceae) | Celastrus emarginata Willd.; Maytenus emarginata (Willd.) Ding Hou | shrub | No |
| Hyptis capitata (Lamiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Impatiens hawkeri (Balsaminaceae) | Impatiens herzogii K. Schum.; Impatiens linearifolia Warb.; Impatiens schlechteri Warb. | herb | No |
| Imperata conferta (Poaceae) | Imperata exaltata auct.; Saccharum confertum J. Presl | grass | No |
| Ipomoea alba (Convolvulaceae) | Calonyction aculeatum (L.) House; Calonyction album (L.) House | vine | No |
| Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus batatas L. | vine | No |
| Ipomoea cairica (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus cairicus L.; Ipomoea heptaphylla Voigt; Ipomoea palmata Forssk.; Ipomoea tuberculata (Desr.) Roem. & Schult. | vine | No |
| Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa (Convolvulaceae) | Ipomoea crassicaulis (Benth.) B. L. Rob.; Ipomoea fistulosa Mart. ex Choisy | shrub | No |
| Ipomoea nil (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus nil L.; Pharbitis limbata Lindl.; Pharbitis nil (L.) Choisy | vine | No |
| Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
| Macaranga tanarius (Euphorbiaceae) | Ricinus tanarius L. | tree | No |
| Malvastrum coromandelianum (Malvaceae) | Malva coromandeliana L.; Malvastrum tricuspidatum A. Gray | herb | No |
| Merremia hederacea (Convolvulaceae) | Evolvulus hederaceus Burm. f.; Merremia convolvulacea Dennst. ex Hallier f. | vine | No |
| Mikania cordata (Asteraceae) | Eupatorium cordatum Burm. f. | vine | No |
| Millettia pinnata (Fabaceae) | Cytisus pinnatus L.; Derris indica (Lam.) Bennet; Galedupa indica Lam.; Galedupa pinnata (L.) Taub.; Pongamia glabra Ventenat; Pongamia mitis Kurz; Pongamia pinnata (Linnaeus) Pierre | tree | No |
| Monochoria hastata (Pontederiaceae) | aquatic herb | No | |
| Mucuna pruriens (Fabaceae) | Dolichos pruriens L.; Stizolobium aterrimum Piper and Tracey; Stizolobium deeringianum Bort.; Stizolobium niveum Kuntze.; Stizolobium pruriens (L.) Medicus. | vine | No |
| Muehlenbeckia platyclada (Polygonaceae) | Homalocladium platycladum (F. Muell.) L. H. Bailey; Polygonum platycladum F. Muell. | shrub | No |
| Murdannia nudiflora (Commelinaceae) | Aneilema nudiflorum (L.) R. Br.; Commelina nudiflora L. | herb | No |
| Nypa fruticans (Arecaceae) | Nipa fruticans Thunb. | shrub | No |
| Pennisetum clandestinum (Poaceae) | Cenchrus clandestinus (Hochst. ex Chiov.) Morrone; Kikuyuochloa clandestina (Hochst. ex Chiov.) H. Scholz | grass | No |
| Phyla nodiflora (Verbenaceae) | Lippia nodiflora (L.) Michx.; Lippia repens Spreng. | herb | No |
| Phyllanthus urinaria (Phyllanthaceae) | herb | No | |
| Ptychosperma macarthurii (Arecaceae) | Kentia macarthurii H. Wendl. ex anon. | tree | No |
| Setaria barbata (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Stephania japonica (Menispermaceae) | vine | No | |
| Themeda arguens (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Trichodesma zeylanicum (Boraginaceae) | herb | No | |
| Vitex parviflora (Lamiaceae) | shrub/tree | No |