Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems

PIER plant species present on Tofua Island listed by scientific name

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

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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

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

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This page was last regenerated on 26FEB2019.