This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur on Tofua 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? |
Achyranthes aspera (Amaranthaceae) | herb | No | |
Aleurites moluccana (Euphorbiaceae) | Aleurites remyi Sherff; Aleurites trilobus J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.; Jatropha moluccana L. | tree | No |
Asclepias curassavica (Apocynaceae) | herb | No | |
Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae) | herb | No | |
Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarinaceae) | Casuarina litorea L. ex Fosberg & Sachet | tree | No |
Cenchrus echinatus (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
Chrysopogon aciculatus (Poaceae) | Andropogon acicularis Retz. ex Roem. & Schult.; Andropogon aciculatus Retz.; Rhaphis acicularis (Retz. ex Roem. & Schult.) Desv.; Rhaphis aciculata (Retz.) Honda | grass | No |
Commelina benghalensis (Commelinaceae) | herb | No | |
Conyza bonariensis (Asteraceae) | Erigeron bonariensis L.; Erigeron crispus Pourr. | herb | No |
Cyperus cyperinus (Cyperaceae) | Kyllinga cyperina Retz.; Mariscus cyperinus (Retz.) Vahl | sedge | No |
Cyperus cyperoides (Cyperaceae) | Kyllinga sumatrensis Retz.; Mariscus sumatrensis (Retz.) J. Raynal; Mariscus umbellatus Vahl; Scirpus cyperoides L. | sedge | No |
Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum (Poaceae) | Panicum oxyphyllum Hochst. ex Steud. | grass | No |
Desmodium heterocarpon (Fabaceae) | Desmodium ovalifolium (Prain) Wall. ex Merr.; Desmodium polycarpon (Poir.) DC.; Meibomia heterocarpos (L.) Kuntze | herb | No |
Dioscorea bulbifera (Dioscoreaceae) | Dioscorea latifolia Benth. | vine | No |
Eleusine indica (Poaceae) | Cynosurus indicus L.; Eleusine japonica Steud. | grass | No |
Erechtites valerianifolius (Asteraceae) | Senecio valerianifolius Link ex Spreng. | herb | No |
Euphorbia hirta (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp.; Euphorbia pilulifera L. | herb | No |
Fleurya interrupta (Urticaceae) | Laportea interrupta (L.) Chew; Urtica interrupta L. | herb | No |
Hibiscus cannabinus (Malvaceae) | Hibiscus henriquesii P. Lima; Hibiscus sabdariffa sensu Mendonça & Torre, tom. cit.: 11 (1950); Hibiscus sp.‐Garcia, torn. cit.: 41 (1946) quoad specim. coll. Dr. Braga. | herb | No |
Hoya australis (Apocynaceae) | Hoya dalrympliana F. Muell. | vine | No |
Imperata conferta (Poaceae) | Imperata exaltata auct.; Saccharum confertum J. Presl | grass | No |
Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) | shrub | No | |
Kyllinga nemoralis (Cyperaceae) | Cyperus kyllingia Endl.; Kyllinga monocephala Rottb. | sedge | No |
Lablab purpureus (Fabaceae) | Dolichos lablab L.; Dolichos purpureus L.; Lablab vulgaris Savi | vine | No |
Lindernia crustacea (Linderniaceae) | Capraria crustacea L.; Vandellia crustacea (L.) Benth. | herb | No |
Mimosa pudica (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
Momordica charantia (Cucurbitaceae) | Momordica muricata Willd.; Momordica zeylanica Mill. | vine | No |
Operculina ventricosa (Convolvulaceae) | Operculina turpethum (L.) Silva Manso var. ventricosa (Bertero) Austin & Staples | vine | No |
Oplismenus compositus (Poaceae) | Panicum compositum L. | grass | No |
Paspalum conjugatum (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
Passiflora foetida (Passifloraceae) | vine | No | |
Physalis angulata (Solanaceae) | Physalis lanceifolia Nees | herb | No |
Portulaca oleracea (Portulacaceae) | herb | No | |
Pueraria montana var. lobata (Fabaceae) | Dolichos lobatusWilld.; Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi; Pueraria thunbergiana(Sieb. & Zucc.) Benth.; Pueraria triloba (Houtt.) T. Makino | vine | No |
Rhus taitensis (Anacardiaceae) | Melanococca taitensis (Guillemin) Young; Rhus simaroubifolia A. Gray | shrub/tree | No |
Sida rhombifolia (Malvaceae) | Sida microphylla Cav. | shrub | No |
Sigesbeckia orientalis (Asteraceae) | Siegesbeckia orientalis L. | herb | No |
Solanum americanum (Solanaceae) | Solanum nigrum var. americanum (Mill.) O.E. Schulz | herb | No |
Spathoglottis plicata (Orchidaceae) | herb | No | |
Spermacoce remota (Rubiaceae) | Borreria laevis sensu various authors; Spermacoce assurgens Ruiz & Pav. | herb | 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 |
Trema orientalis (Cannabaceae) | Trema cannabina Lour.; Trema cannabinum Lour.; Trema orientale (L.) Blume; Trema tomentosum (Roxb.) H. Hara | tree | No |
Triumfetta rhomboidea (Malvaceae) | Triamfetta bartramia L. | shrub | No |
Urochloa subquadripara (Poaceae) | Brachiaria subquadripara (Trin.) Hitchc.; Panicum subquadriparum Trin. | grass | No |