This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur on Niuafo‘ou 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? |
| Abrus precatorius (Fabaceae) | Glycine abrus L. | vine | No |
| Achyranthes aspera (Amaranthaceae) | herb | No | |
| Adenanthera pavonina (Fabaceae) | tree | No | |
| Aleurites moluccana (Euphorbiaceae) | Aleurites remyi Sherff; Aleurites trilobus J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.; Jatropha moluccana L. | tree | No |
| Bischofia javanica (Phyllanthaceae) | Andrachne trifoliata Roxb.; Bischofia trifoliata (Roxb.) Hook. | tree | No |
| Calophyllum inophyllum (Clusiaceae) | Balsamaria inophyllum Lour.; Calophyllum apetalum Blanco; Calophyllum bingator Roxb.; Calophyllum blumei Wight; Calophyllum ovatifolium noronha; Calophyllum spurium Choisy; Calophyllum wakamatsui Kaneh. | tree | No |
| Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarinaceae) | Casuarina litorea L. ex Fosberg & Sachet | tree | No |
| Clerodendrum speciosissimum (Lamiaceae) | Clerodendrum blumeanum Schauer; Clerodendrum buchananii var. fallax (Roxburgh) Walpers; Clerodendrum fallax Lindl. | shrub | No |
| Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum (Poaceae) | Panicum oxyphyllum Hochst. ex Steud. | grass | No |
| Dactyloctenium aegyptium (Poaceae) | Cynosurus aegyptius L.; Eleusine aegyptiaca (L.) Desf. | grass | No |
| Desmodium heterocarpon (Fabaceae) | Desmodium ovalifolium (Prain) Wall. ex Merr.; Desmodium polycarpon (Poir.) DC.; Meibomia heterocarpos (L.) Kuntze | herb | No |
| Desmodium triflorum (Fabaceae) | Meibomia triflora (L.) Kuntze | herb | No |
| Digitaria violascens (Poaceae) | Digitaria chinensis (Nees) A. Camus; Digitaria hinensis sensu auct. Micr. non Hornem., pro maxima parte | grass | No |
| Dioscorea bulbifera (Dioscoreaceae) | Dioscorea latifolia Benth. | vine | No |
| Echinochloa colona (Poaceae) | Panicum colonum L. | grass | No |
| Eleocharis dulcis (Cyperaceae) | Andropogon dulcis Burm. f.; Eleocharis tuberosa (Roxb.) Schult.; Scirpus tuberosus Roxb. | sedge | No |
| Flacourtia rukam (Salicaceae) | Flacourtia euphlebia Merr. | tree | No |
| Hoya australis (Apocynaceae) | Hoya dalrympliana F. Muell. | vine | No |
| Indigofera suffruticosa (Fabaceae) | Indigofera anil L. | shrub | No |
| Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
| Lindernia crustacea (Linderniaceae) | Capraria crustacea L.; Vandellia crustacea (L.) Benth. | herb | No |
| Merremia dissecta (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus dissectus Jacq.; Ipomoea dissecta (Jacq.) Pursh; Ipomoea sinuata Ortega | vine | No |
| Mimosa pudica (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
| Operculina ventricosa (Convolvulaceae) | Operculina turpethum (L.) Silva Manso var. ventricosa (Bertero) Austin & Staples | vine | No |
| Paspalum scrobiculatum (Poaceae) | Paspalum cartilagineum Presl.; Paspalum orbiculare G. Forst. | grass | No |
| Spathoglottis plicata (Orchidaceae) | 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 |
| Trema orientalis (Cannabaceae) | Trema cannabina Lour.; Trema cannabinum Lour.; Trema orientale (L.) Blume; Trema tomentosum (Roxb.) H. Hara | tree | No |