This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur in the Rock 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? |
| Achyranthes aspera (Amaranthaceae) | Achyranthes canescens R. Br. | herb | No |
| Ageratum conyzoides (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Alocasia macrorrhizos (Araceae) | Alocasia indica Schott; Alocasia plumbea Van Houtte; Arum indicum Lour.; Arum macrorrhizon L.; Colocasia indica (Lour.) Kunth | herb | No |
| Alysicarpus vaginalis (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
| Annona muricata (Annonaceae) | tree | No | |
| Averrhoa bilimbi (Oxalidaceae) | tree | No | |
| Basella alba (Basellaceae) | Basella cordifolia Lam.; Basella rubra L. | herb | No |
| Bidens alba (Asteraceae) | Bidens pilosa L. var. radiata Shultz-Bip. | herb | No |
| Bothriochloa bladhii (Poaceae) | Andropogon bladhii Retz.; Andropogon intermedius R. Br.; Bothriochloa caucasica (Trin.) C.E. Hubbard; Dichanthium bladhii (Retz.) Clayton | grass | No |
| Caesalpinia bonduc (Fabaceae) | vine | No | |
| Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarinaceae) | Casuarina litorea L. var. litorea; Casuarina littorea Rumph. | tree | No |
| Chamaesyce hirta (Euphorbiaceae) | Euphorbia hirta L. | herb | No |
| Chamaesyce prostrata (Euphorbiaceae) | Euphorbia prostrata Aiton | herb | No |
| Chamaesyce thymifolia (Euphorbiaceae) | Euphorbia rubicunda Steud.; Euphorbia thymifolia L. | herb | No |
| Cheilocostus speciosus (Costaceae) | Banksea speciosa J. Koenig; Costus sericeus Bl.; Costus speciosus (J. Koenig) Sm. | herb | No |
| Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae) | Eupatorium odoratum L. | shrub | No |
| Cinnamomum verum (Lauraceae) | Cinnamomum zeylanicum Bl. | tree | No |
| Clerodendrum buchananii var. fallax (Lamiaceae) | Clerodendrum speciosissimum van Geert ex Morren (although there is disagreement as to whether or not these species are synonymous per Smith, 1985). | shrub | No |
| Conyza canadensis (Asteraceae) | Erigeron canadensis L. | 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 cyperinus (Cyperaceae) | Mariscus cyperinus (Retz.) Vahl | sedge | No |
| Digitaria ciliaris (Poaceae) | Digitaria adscendens (Kunth) Henrard | grass | No |
| Dioscorea bulbifera (Dioscoreaceae) | vine | No | |
| Echinochloa colona (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Eleusine indica (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Emilia sonchifolia (Asteraceae) | Emilia javanica (Burm. f.) C. B. Rob. | herb | No |
| Eragrostis amabilis (Poaceae) | Eragrostis tenella (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. | grass | No |
| Erigeron bellioides (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Ficus benjamina (Moraceae) | tree | No | |
| Ficus microcarpa (Moraceae) | Ficus thonningii Blume | tree | No |
| Flacourtia rukam (Salicaceae) | tree | No | |
| Hemigraphis reptans (Acanthaceae) | herb | No | |
| Hippobroma longiflora (Campanulaceae) | Isotoma longiflora (L.) C. Presl; Laurentia longiflora (L.) Endl. | herb | No |
| Imperata conferta (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
| Ischaemum polystachyum (Poaceae) | Ischaemum digitatum var. polystachyum ((presl) Hackel | grass | No |
| Lepidium virginicum (Brassicaceae) | herb | No | |
| Leucaena leucocephala (Fabaceae) | Leucaena glauca (L. ex Willd.) Benth. | tree | No |
| Paspalum conjugatum (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Paspalum scrobiculatum (Poaceae) | Paspalum cartilagineum Presl.?; Paspalum orbiculare G. Forst. | grass | No |
| Phyllanthus amarus (Phyllanthaceae) | Phyllanthus niruri sensu various Pacific botanists. | herb | No |
| Pilea microphylla (Urticaceae) | herb | No | |
| Polygala paniculata (Polygalaceae) | herb | No | |
| Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) | tree | No | |
| Sesbania grandiflora (Fabaceae) | Agati grandiflora Desv. | tree | No |
| Sida rhombifolia (Malvaceae) | Sida microphylla Cav. | shrub | No |
| Spermacoce ovalifolia (Rubiaceae) | Borreria ovalifolia M. Martens & Galeotti; Spermacoce ernstii Fosberg & D. Powell | herb | No |
| Spermacoce remota (Rubiaceae) | Borreria laevis sensu various authors.; Spermacoce assurgens Ruiz & Pav. | herb | No |
| Sporobolus diander (Poaceae) | Sporobolus diandrus (Retz.) P. Beauv.; Sporobolus indicus (L.) R. Br. var. flaccidus (Roem. & Schult.) Veldkamp | grass | No |
| Sporobolus indicus (Poaceae) | Agrostis indica L.; Axonopus poiretii Roem. & Schult.; Sporobolus fertilis (Steud.) Clayton [= Sporobolus indicus var. major]; Sporobolus poiretii (Roem. & Schult.) Hitchc. | grass | No |
| Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Verbenaceae) | Stachytarpheta dichotoma (Ruiz & Pav.) Vahl.; Stachytarpheta urticaefolia (Salisb.) Sims; Stachytarpheta urticifolia (Salisb.) Sims | herb | No |
| Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Verbenaceae) | herb | No | |
| Stenotaphrum secundatum (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae) | Eugenia cumini (L.) Druce | tree | No |
| Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae) | Bignonia stans L.; Stenolobium stans Seem. | tree | No |
| Timonius timon (Rubiaceae) | tree | No | |
| Turnera ulmifolia (Passifloraceae) | herb | No |