Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
Report on invasive plant species in the Cook Islands
Appendix 14. Invasive and potentially invasive species present on other southern Cook Islands but not on Mangaia
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Present on: |
| Acacia farnesiana | English: Ellington curse, klu, sweet acacia; French: acacia jaune, cassie; Other: titima (Cook Islands); vaivai vaka-vatona, vaivai vakavotona, ban baburi, oki (Fiji); aroma, popinac, kandaroma (Guam, CNMI); kolu (Hawai'i); te kaibakoa (Kiribati); debena (Nauru) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki |
| Acacia glauca | redwood | Ma'uke |
| English: black wattle; French: acacia noir; Other: ākasia (Cook Islands) | Rarotonga | |
| Albizia lebbeck | English: siris-tree, rain tree, East Indian walnut, kokko, woman's-tongue tree, soros-tree, raom tree ; French: bois noir; Other: ‘arapitia (Cook Islands (Miti‘aro)); trongkon-mames, tronkon mames, mamis (Guam); kalaskas, trongkon-kalaskas (CNMI–Chamorro); schepil kalaskas (CNMI–Carolinian); ukall ra ngebard (Palau); gumorningabchey; ngumorrningobchey (Yap); 'ohai (Hawai‘i); vaivai, vaivai ni vavalangi, vaivai ni vavalagi (Fiji); tamaligi pa’epa’e (Samoa); kasia (Tonga) | Rarotonga, Miti'aro |
| Alpinia purpurata | English: red ginger; Other: kōpī muramura (Cook Islands); thevunga (Fiji); ‘awapuhi ‘ula‘ula (Hawai‘i); teuila (Samoa); tevunga (Tonga) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu, Ma’uke |
| Annona glabra | English: pond apple, alligator apple, bullock's heart, cherimoyer; French: annone des marais, corossolier des marais; Other: uto ni mbulumakau, uto ni bulumakau, kaitambo, kaitambu (Fiji) | Rarotonga |
| Antigonon leptopus | English: Mexican creeper, mountain rose, Confederate vine, chain-of-love, hearts on a chain, love-vine, coral bells, coral vine, queen’s jewels, kadena de amor, corallita; Other: dilngau (Palau); rohsapoak (Pohnpei) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu |
| Ardisia crenata | English: hen's eyes, Hilo holly, coral berry, Australian holly, scratchthroat; French: arbre à noël | Rarotonga |
| Arundo donax | English: giant reed, Spanish reed, wild cane; French: canne de Provence, grand roseau; Other: ngasau ni vavalangi (Fiji); fiso palagi, fiso papalagi (Samoa); kaho folalahi (Tonga) | Rarotonga |
| Asparagus densiflorus | English: asparagus fern, sprengeri fern, smilax, regal fern | Rarotonga |
| English: blanket grass, carpetgrass; Other: kambutu ni vavalangi (Fiji) | Rarotonga | |
| English: caratao grass, narrow-leaved carpetgrass | Rarotonga | |
| English: neem, nim, margosa | Rarotonga | |
| English: purple orchid tree; purple butterfly tree, pink butterfly tree (Fiji); French: fleurs pourpres | Rarotonga? | |
| English: orchid tree; mountain ebony, butterfly tree (Fiji); French: bois de boeuf, sabot boeuf, arbre de Saint-Thomas | Rarotonga | |
| Bothriochloa bladhii | English: blue grass, Australian beardgrass, Caucasian bluestem; Other: desum (Palau); latoka grass, thamboni grass (Fiji) | Aitutaki |
| Kalanchoe delagoensis | English: chandelier plant | Rarotonga |
| English: red powder puff; French: pompon | Rarotonga | |
| English: Surinamese stickpea | Rarotonga | |
| Callisia fragrans | English: fragrant inch plant, basketplant, spironema | Aitutaki, 'Atiu |
| English: calopo; Other: akankan-guakag (Guam) | Rarotonga, ‘Atiu, Ma'uke, Miti'aro | |
| English: calotrope, crown flower, madar; French: mercure végétal, mudar; Other: pua-kalaunu (Hawai'i); tahinu (French Polynesia) | Rarotonga | |
| English: balloon vine; heart seed; Other: kopūpū takaviri? (Cook Islands) | Rarotonga | |
| English: balloon vine, heart pea, love-in-a-puff; Other: wa niu, vo niu (Fiji); vinivinio (French Polynesia), poniu, haleakai‘a, ‘inalua, pohuehue uka (Hawai'i) | Miti'aro | |
| Carludovica palmata | English: Panama hat plant; French: carludovique palmée; Spanish: chidra, palma de sombrero, palma jipijapa, toquilla; Other: Panamā (Cook Islands) | Rarotonga, 'Atiu |
| Cecropia obtusifolia | English: trumpet tree, guarumo; Other: rau-māniota (Cook Islands) | Rarotonga |
| Cedrela odorata | English: cigar box cedar, Mexican cedar, West Indian cedar, Spanish cedar, Barbados cedar; French: cèdre acajou, cèdre des barbares; Spanish: cedro cubano (Galapagos Is.); Other: sita hina (Tonga) | Rarotonga, ‘Atiu |
| Ceiba pentandra | English: kapok, kapok tree, silk-cotton tree, pacae; French: kapokier, capoc, bois coton; Spanish: ceibo; Other: vavae (American Samoa, Samoa, Niue, Tonga); koton (Chuuk); vavai (Cook Islands and French Polynesia); vavai mama‘u, vavai maori (Cook Islands); mama‘u (Cook Islands (Mangaia, Aitutaki?)); vauvau ni vavalangi, semar (Fiji); algodon de Manila, atgodon di Manila, algidon, atgidon de Manila (Guam); kuhtin, cutin (Kosrae); koatoa, atagodon, bulik, kotin (Marshall Islands); kalngebard, kalngebárd, kerrekar ngebard (Palau); cottin, koatun, koatoa (Pohnpei); arughuschel (Saipan), batte ni gan' ken (Yap); vavau ni lokoloko (from Ecoport, source not given) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu, Ma'uke, Miti'aro |
| Chloris barbata | English: swollen fingergrass, purpletop chloris (Australia), airport grass (Fiji); Other: mau’u lei (Hawai'i) | Rarotonga |
| English: camphor tree, camphor laurel; French: camphre, camphrier | Rarotonga | |
| English: cinnamon tree; French: cannelier de Ceylan; Other: ochod ra ngebard (Palau). tinamoni, tigamoni (American Samoa and Samoa) | Rarotonga, Miti'aro | |
| Clerodendrum chinense | English: Honolulu rose, stickbush, glory bower; Other: losa Honolulu, losa Onolulu (American Samoa and Samoa); pītate māma‘o, tiare tupapaku? (Cook Islands); pikake hohono, pikake wauke (Hawai'i) | Rarotonga |
| Clitoria ternatea | English: butterfly pea, Asian pigeonwings; French: honte; Other: buikike, bukike, paokeke, bukike paokeke, capa de la reina, kapa de la raina (Guam); putitainubia (CNMI); pepe (Niue); latoela, nawa (Fiji), paipa (Tonga) | Rarotonga |
| Cortaderia selloana | English: pampas grass, silver pampas grass, Uruguayan pampas grass | Rarotonga |
| Costus speciosus | English: crepe ginger, crape ginger, wild ginger, Malay ginger, canereed; Other: isebsab (Palau) | Rarotonga, 'Atiu |
| Cyperus involucratus | English: umbrella sedge, umbrella plant, dwarf papyrus grass; Other: ‘ahu‘awa haole, pu‘uka‘a haole (Hawai‘i) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki |
| Derris elliptica | English: derris; Other: tuba, bagin (Guam); oop, op (Kosrae); dub (Palau); up (Chuuk, Pohnpei); peinuhp, uhp, upanai, upanyap, upkesetik (Pohnpei); yuub (Yap); nduva, duva ni vavalagi, nduva ni vavalangi (Fiji) | Rarotonga |
| Digitaria violascens | English: smooth crabgrass, violet crabgrass; Other: sau (Palau) | Rarotonga |
| Dissotis rotundifolia | English: dissotis, Spanish shawl, pink lady | Rarotonga, Ma'uke |
| Duranta erecta | English: duranta, golden dewdrop, pigeon-berry, sky-flower; Other: ‘olive (Tonga) | Rarotonga |
| English: egeria, leafy elodea, dense waterweed | Rarotonga | |
| Erigeron karvinskianus | English: Mexican daisy, seaside daisy, daisy fleabane | Rarotonga |
| English: weeping fig, baka, Java fig, weeping fig ; Other: ‘ovava fisi (Tonga) | Rarotonga | |
| Ficus elastica | English: India rubber tree, rubber plant; Other: rapa (Cook Islands); komunokí (Palau); rapah (Pohnpei); gak‘iynigoma (Yap) | Rarotonga, 'Atiu |
| Ficus macrophylla | English: Moreton Bay fig | Rarotonga |
| Flacourtia rukam | English: Indian plum, Indian prune, governor’s plum; French: prunier café, prunier de Chine, prunier malgache; Other: filimoto (Fiji, Futuna, Samoa and American Samoa, Tonga) | Rarotonga |
| Flemingia strobilifera | English: luck plant, wild hops; French: sainfoin du bengale; Other: besungelaiei (Palau) | Rarotonga, 'Atiu |
| Gmelina arborea | English: gmelina, white teak, white beech; Spanish: melina; Other: yemane (Fiji, Philippines) | Rarotonga, ‘Atiu |
| Grevillea banksii | English: kahili flower, Banks grevillea; Other: ha‘iku, kahili (Hawai‘i); ‘oka pua ‘ula‘ula (Hawai‘i (Ni‘ihau)) | Rarotonga |
| Heliconia spp. | English: heliconia, parrot's-flower, parrot's-plantain, crab claw, lobster claw; Other: tiare pārata‘ito (Cook Islands) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu, Ma'uke |
| Hylocereus undatus | English: night-blooming cereus, strawberry pear, red pitaya, dragon fruit, pitahaya; French: pitaya, pitahaya rouge; Spanish: flor de Caliz; Other: paniniokapunahou, papipi pua (Hawai'i) | Rarotonga |
| Ipomoea aquatica | English: aquatic morning glory, swamp cabbage, water spinach, ung-choi, kang kong; French: liseron d'eau, patate aquatique; Other: aseri, seeri, seri (Chuuk); rukau taviri? (Cook Islands); ota karisa, ota karisi, wa kumala, ndrinikava, luve ne tombithi (Fiji), akankong, cancon, kangkun, kangkung, kankan (Guam); te kang kong (Kiribati); lorenzo (Nauru), kangum, kangkum (Palau); ‘umala vai (Samoa); kangkong (Ulithi, Yap); kangking, kongkong (Yap) | Rarotonga |
| Jacaranda mimosifolia | English: jacaranda | Rarotonga |
| Jatropha curcas | English: physic nut, purging nut, Barbados nut; French: médicinier, pignon d'Inde, purghère; Other: tuitui pakarangi, pakarani (Cook Islands); fiki (Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga); wiriwiri, wiriwiri ni vavalangi, uto ni vavalangi, banidakai, mbanindakai, manggele, maqele, ndrala (Fiji); tuba-tuba (Guam); kuku‘ihi (Hawai‘i), kuikui Pake (Hawai‘i (Ni‘ihau), laupata (Samoa) | Rarotonga, ‘Atiu, Ma'uke |
| Justicia carnea | English: pink plume-flower, pink jacobinia | Rarotonga |
| Lablab purpureus | English: hyacinth bean, lablab, bonavist, Egyptian kidney bean, dolichos; French: dolique, dolique d'Egypte, pois nourrice; Other: ndralawa, natomba, tomba (Fiji); cheribilla apaka, chuchumeko (Guam--Chamorro); papapa, pi (Hawai'i); pini lae puaka (Tonga) | Rarotonga |
| English: lantana; Other: latana (American Samoa and Samoa); tātarāmoa papa‘ā (Cook Islands); tātarāmoa (Cook Islands, French Polynesia); kauboica, kaumboitha, mbonambulumakau, mbona ra mbulumakau, tokalau, waiwai, lanitana (Fiji); tarataramoa, taratara hamoa (French Polynesia); latora moa (French Polynesia (Tahiti)); lakana, la‘au kalakala, lanakana (Ni‘ihau), mikinolia hihiu, mikinolia hohono, mikinolia kuku (Hawai‘i); ros fonacni (Kosrae); te kaibuaka, te kaibuaja (Kiribati); migiroa (Nauru), landana, rantana, rahndana, tukasuweth (Pohnpei); talatala, talatala talmoa (Tonga) | Rarotonga, 'Atiu | |
| Leptospermum scoparium | English: New Zealand tea; manuka (New Zealand) | Rarotonga |
| Licuala grandis | English: ruffled fan palm; French: palmier-cuillère | Rarotonga? |
| Macfadyena unguis-cati | English: cat's-claw climber | Rarotonga |
| Macroptilium atropurpureum | English: siratro, purple bushbean | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu, Ma'uke, Miti‘aro |
| Melicoccus bijugatus | English: Spanish lime | Rarotonga, ‘Atiu |
| English: merremia; Other: fue vae (American Samoa), fue lautetele (American Samoa and Samoa); fidau, fitau, fitaw, fitay (Chuuk); kūrima (Cook Islands (‘Atiu)); wa mbula, wa bula, wa damu, wa ndamu, viliyawa, wiliviwa, veliyana, wiliao (Fiji); pohue (French Polynesia); lagon, lagoun, lagun (Guam); pala, pul, para, puhlah (Kosrae); fue, fue vao, fue kula (Niue); kebeas (Palau); ceul, lohl, iol, yol, yool (Pohnpei); abui, grobihi, arosumou (Solomon Islands); fue mea (Tonga); wachathal (Yap) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu, Miti'aro | |
| English: wood rose, Spanish arborvine, yellow morning-glory; French: liane-à-tonelle, liane-jaune; Other: alarrak (Saipan); pilikai (Hawai‘i) | Rarotonga | |
| English: mile-a-minute weed, Chinese creeper, American rope, bittervine; French: liane américaine, liane-serpent; Other: fue saina (American Samoa, Samoa and Niue); pōkutekute (Cook Islands (‘Atiu)); wa mbosuthu, wa mbosuvu, wa mbutako, wa ndamele, ovaova, wa bosucu, usuvanua (Fiji); fou laina (Niue), teb ‘l yas (Palau); kwalo koburu, (from Ecoport, no source given) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu, Ma'uke, Miti'aro | |
| diplotricha | English: giant sensitive plant, nila grass; French: grande sensitive, sensitive gèante; Other: pikika‘a papa‘ā (Cook Islands (Aitutaki)); vao fefe palagi (American Samoa and Samoa), wa ngandrongandro levu, wa ngandrongandro ni wa ngalelevu, co gadrogadro (Fiji); mechiuaiuu (Palau); limemeihr laud (Pohnpei); singbiguin sasa (Saipan); la'au fefe tele, la'au fefe palagi (Samoa); | Aitutaki |
| Muntingia calabura | English: jam tree, strawberry tree, Jamaican cherry, Singapore cherry, Panama cherry, Panama berry, ornamental cherry, calabura, sirsen; French: bois ramier; Other: venevene (Cook Islands (Penrhyn)); capulin (Fiji, French Polynesia); manzanilla, mansanita, manzanita (Guam, CNMI), budo (Palau, Yap) | Rarotonga |
| Opuntia spp. | English: prickly pear; Other: lengua de vaca (Guam) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki |
| Paraserianthes lophantha | English: brush wattle, plume albizia, plume acacia, stink bean | Rarotonga |
| Paspalum dilatatum | English: paspalum, dallis grass, water grass; French: paspalum dilaté, herbe sirop, herbe de miel, herbe de dallis, millet bâtard; Other: hiku nua (Niue) | Rarotonga, Ma'uke, Miti'aro |
| Passiflora foetida | English: love-in-a-mist, wild passion fruit, passionflower, stinking passionflower; French: passiflore; Spanish: bedoca (Galapagos Is.); Other: pasio vao (American Samoa and Samoa); bombom (Chuuk), sou, loliloli ni kalavo, qaranidila (Fiji); pohapoha (Hawai‘i); lani wai (Hawai‘i (Ni‘ihau)); tea biku (Kiribati); vine vao (Niue); kudamono (Palau); pompom, pwomwpwomw (Pohnpei); kinahulo‘ atdao, dulce (Saipan); vaine ‘initia (Tonga); tomates (Yap) | Rarotonga |
| English: yellow granadilla, belle apple, yellow water-lemon; French: pomme-liane, pomme d'or; Other: pasio vao (Samoa); vaine 'ae kuma (Tonga) | Ma‘uke | |
| English: sweet granadilla, yellow passionfruit; French: granadille, grenadille douce, barbadine; French: granadille, grenadille douce, barbadine; Other: lemi wai, lani wai, lemona (Hawai‘i) | Ma'uke | |
| Pennisetum setaceum | English: fountain grass | Rarotonga |
| Phyllostachys nigra | English: black bamboo; French: bambou noir | Rarotonga |
| Pistia stratiotes | English: water lettuce, tropical duckweed; French: laitue d'eau, pistie; Other: lechuguita de agua, repollo de agua , apon-apon, apoe-apoe, beo-cai, chawk | Rarotonga |
| Platycerium bifurcatum | English: elkhorn fern, staghorn fern | Rarotonga |
| Pueraria phaseoloides | English: tropical kudzu, puero; Other: kūkū (Cook Islands (‘Aitu)) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu, Ma'uke |
| English: flame vine, flame flower, golden shower, orange trumpet vine | Rarotonga | |
| English: Rangoon creeper | Rarotonga | |
| English: sanchezia | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu | |
| speciosa | English: sanchezia. | Rarotonga |
| Schefflera actinophylla | English: octopus tree, umbrella tree, ivy palm; French: arbre-pieuvre, arbre ombelle | Rarotonga |
| Senna alata | English: candle bush; candelabra bush, Roman candle tree, emperor's candlesticks, ringworm bush (Australia), alcapulco; French: epis d’or, bois dartre, dartres; Other: fa‘i lafa, la‘au fai lafa (American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga); arakak (Chuuk); mbai ni thangi (Fiji); akapuku, andadose, candalaria, take-biha (Guam); mulamula (Niue); kerula besokel, yult (Palau); rakau honuki, truke-n-kili-n-wai, tuhkehn kilin wai, tirakahonuki (Pohnpei); bakau plant (Solomon Islands); te‘elango (Tonga); flay-n-sabouw (Yap) | Rarotonga |
| English: cassod tree, kassod tree, Siamese cassia, pheasantwood, Thailand shower; French: bois perdrix; Other: kasia (Tonga) | ‘Atiu | |
| Senna tora | English: foetid cassia, stinking cassia, Java-bean, sickle senna, sicklepod, Chinese senna, peanut weed, sickle senna; French: cassier sauvage, pois puant, séné; Other: vao pinati (American Samoa and Samoa); kaumoce, kaumothe, pini, tarota (Fiji); mumutun admelon, mumutun palaoan, amot-tumaga carabao (Guam), te’epulu, tengafefeka (Tonga) | Ma'uke |
| Setaria palmifolia | English: palmgrass, short pitpit, hailans pitpit, broadleaved bristlegrass; Other: vao ‘ofe‘ofe (Samoa) | |
| Solanum capsicoides | English: cockroach berry, devil’s apple, soda apple; Other: poro‘iti taratara (Cook Islands); kikania kei, akaaka, akaka (Hawai'i) | Rarotonga, 'Atiu, Ma'uke |
| Solanum mauritianum | English: bugweed, wild tobacco, tree tobacco; Other: rau ‘ava‘ava (Cook Islands); pua nana honua (Hawai'i); pula (Tonga) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki |
| Spathodea campanulata | English: African tulip tree, fireball, fountain tree; French: tulipier du Gabon, pisse-pisse; Spanish: tulipan africano; Other: kō‘ī‘ī, mimi, pātītī vaipatiti vai, pititi vai (Cook Islands); mata kō‘ī‘ī ko‘i‘i (Cook Islands (Mangaia)); apär (CNMI); taga mimi (Fiji); orsachel kui (Palau); tuhke dulip (Pohnpei); fa‘apasi (Samoa); tiulipe (Tonga); rarningobchey (Yap) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, 'Atiu, Ma'uke |
| Sphagneticola trilobata | English: wedelia, trailing daisy, Singapore daisy, creeping ox-eye; Other: ngesil ra ngebard (Palau); dihpw ongohng, tuhke ongohng (Pohnpei); rosrangrang (Kosrae); ut mõkadkad, ut telia (Marshall Islands); atiat (Puluwat); ate (Tonga) | Rarotonga, 'Atiu |
| Sporobolus indicus | English: smutgrass, wiregrass, Indian dropseed; Other: fisihina (Tonga) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki |
| Stenotaphrum secundatum | English: buffalo grass, St. Augustine grass; French: chiendent de boeuf; Spanish: pasto San Augustín; Other: ‘aki‘aki haole, mānienie ‘aki‘aki, mānienie ‘aki‘aki haole, mānienie māhikihiki (Hawai‘i) | Rarotonga |
| Stylosanthes guianensis | English: stylo, Brazilian lucerne, tropical lucerne, Nigerian stylo; Other: mauku puakatoro (Cook Islands (‘Atiu)) | ‘Atiu, Ma'uke |
| Tabebuia heterophylla | English: pink tecoma, pink trumpet tree, white cedar; Other: calice du pape | Rarotonga |
| English: black-eyed susan vine; French: suzanne aux yeux noirs | Rarotonga | |
| English: Bengal trumpet, blue trumpet vine, clock vine, skyvine, large-flowerd thunbergia; Other: bung el etiu (Palau) | Rarotonga | |
| English: purple allamanda, laurel-leaved thunbergia, laurel clock vine | Rarotonga | |
| English: glorybush, lasiandra, princess flower | Rarotonga | |
| Triumfetta semitriloba | English: Sacramento bur; Other: dadangsi, masiksik lahe (Guam) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki |
| English: California grass, para grass, buffalo grass, Mauritius grass, signal grass; French: herbe de Para; Other: mauku puakatoro (Cook Islands); puakatau (Tonga) (Swarbrick, 1997) | Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Miti'aro | |
| English: brachiaria, green summer grass, tropical signalgrass, cori grass | Ma'uke, Miti'aro |
Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER!
[Return to Cook Islands report] [ Return to PIER homepage ]
This page revised 22 April 2006