This table lists invasive and potentially invasive plant species profiled by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER) that occur in the Tuvalu (Ellis) 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 |
| Alocasia macrorrhizos (Araceae) | Alocasia indica Schott; Alocasia plumbea Van Houtte; Arum indicum Lour.; Arum macrorrhizon L.; Colocasia indica (Lour.) Kunth | herb | No |
| Alternanthera sessilis (Amaranthaceae) | Alternanthera nodiflora R. Br. | herb | No |
| Amaranthus blitum (Amaranthaceae) | Amaranthus lividus L. | herb | No |
| Amaranthus viridis (Amaranthaceae) | Amaranthus gracilis Desf., nom. nud. | herb | No |
| Asclepias curassavica (Apocynaceae) | herb | No | |
| Bambusa spp. (Poaceae) | tree | No | |
| Bryophyllum pinnatum (Crassulaceae) | Kalanchoë pinnata Pers. | succulent | No |
| Canna indica (Cannaceae) | herb | No | |
| Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae) | herb | No | |
| Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarinaceae) | Casuarina litorea L. var. litorea; Casuarina littorea Rumph. | tree | No |
| Cenchrus echinatus (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Centella asiatica (Apiaceae) | Hydrocotyle asiatica L. | herb | No |
| Colocasia esculenta (Araceae) | 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 involucratus (Cyperaceae) | Cyperus flabelliformis Rottb.; Cyperus alternifolius L. subsp. flabelliformis Kük. | sedge | No |
| Cyperus rotundus (Cyperaceae) | Chlorocyperus rotundus (L.) Palla; Cyperus purpuro-variegatus Boeckeler; Cyperus stoloniferum pallidus Boeckeler; Cyperus tetrastachyos Desf.; Cyperus tuberosus Roxb | sedge | No |
| Dactyloctenium aegyptium (Poaceae) | Eleusine aegyptiaca (L.) Desf. | grass | No |
| Delonix regia (Fabaceae) | Poinciana regia Bojer ex Hook. | tree | No |
| Desmodium heterocarpon (Fabaceae) | herb | No | |
| Eclipta prostrata (Asteraceae) | Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk.; Verbesina alba L. | herb | No |
| Eleocharis geniculata (Cyperaceae) | sedge | No | |
| Eleusine indica (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Emilia fosbergii (Asteraceae) | herb | 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 |
| Euphorbia cyathophora (Euphorbiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Euphorbia hirta (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp. | herb | No |
| Euphorbia hypericifolia (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce glomerifera Millsp.; Chamaesyce hypericifolia (L.) Millsp.; Euphorbia glomifera Millsp. | herb | No |
| Euphorbia prostrata (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce prostrata (Aiton) Small | herb | No |
| Euphorbia thymifolia (Euphorbiaceae) | Chamaesyce thymifolia (L.) Millsp.; Euphorbia microphylla Lam.; Euphorbia rubicunda Steud. | herb | No |
| Ficus carica (Moraceae) | tree | No | |
| Fleurya interrupta (Urticaceae) | Laportea interrupta (L.) Chew | herb | No |
| Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae) | vine | No | |
| Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae) | Convolvulus tuba Schlechtend.; Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult.; Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don | vine | No |
| Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Leucaena leucocephala (Fabaceae) | Leucaena glauca (L. ex Willd.) Benth. | tree | No |
| Ludwigia octovalvis (Onagraceae) | Jussiaea erecta sensu various authors.; Jussiaea suffruticosa L. | herb | No |
| Mikania micrantha (Asteraceae) | vine | No | |
| Mirabilis jalapa (Nyctaginaceae) | herb | No | |
| Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae) | herb | No | |
| Ocimum basilicum (Lamiaceae) | herb | No | |
| Paspalum conjugatum (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Paspalum fimbriatum (Poaceae) | grass | No | |
| Paspalum vaginatum (Poaceae) | Palspalum distichum sensu auct. non L. | grass | No |
| Phyllanthus amarus (Phyllanthaceae) | Phyllanthus niruri sensu various Pacific botanists. | herb | No |
| Physalis angulata (Solanaceae) | Physalis lanceifolia Nees | herb | No |
| Physalis peruviana (Solanaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Pilea microphylla (Urticaceae) | herb | No | |
| Pluchea indica (Asteraceae) | shrub | No | |
| Portulaca oleracea (Portulacaceae) | herb | No | |
| Pseuderanthemum carruthersii (Acanthaceae) | Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum (W. Bull) Radlk.; Pseuderanthemum reticulatum Radlk. | shrub | No |
| Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) | tree | No | |
| Rivina humilis (Phytolaccaceae) | Rivina laevis L. | herb | No |
| Russelia equisetiformis (Plantaginaceae) | shrub | No | |
| Senna occidentalis (Fabaceae) | Cassia occidentalis L. | shrub | No |
| Sida rhombifolia (Malvaceae) | Sida microphylla Cav. | shrub | No |
| Solanum lycopersicum (Solanaceae) | Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.; Lycopersicon lycopersicum (L.) Karst. | herb | No |
| Spermacoce remota (Rubiaceae) | Borreria laevis sensu various authors.; Spermacoce assurgens Ruiz & Pav. | herb | No |
| Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Verbenaceae) | Stachytarpheta dichotoma (Ruiz & Pav.) Vahl.; Stachytarpheta urticaefolia (Salisb.) Sims; Stachytarpheta urticifolia (Salisb.) Sims | herb | No |
| Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Verbenaceae) | herb | No | |
| Synedrella nodiflora (Asteraceae) | herb | No | |
| Tridax procumbens (Asteraceae) | herb | No |