Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
Report on invasive plant species in Kiribati
Appendix 1. Invasive Species
Table 3. Introduced species that are invasive or potentially invasive on Tarawa, Abemama, Butaritari or Maiana
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Family |
Habit |
| †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, te aketia (Kiribati); debena (Nauru) | Fabaceae | shrub |
| *Allamanda cathartica | English: yellow trumpet vine, golden trumpet, allamanda, brownbud allamanda, golden allamanda, golden cup; French: monette jaune, li’ane s’aime; Other: pua taunofo (American Samoa and Samoa), tiare rengarenga, pua (Cook Islands); lani-ali‘I (Hawai’i) | Apocynaceae | vine |
| Amaranthus dubius | English: amaranth, spleen amaranth; French: brède de Malabar; Other: toyala (Fiji); te uekeueke, te mota (Kiribati) | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| *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: flores ka’dena (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands); dilngau (Palau); rohsapoak (Pohnpei) | Polygonaceae | vine |
| Bidens pilosa | English: beggar’s tick, Spanish needle, cobbler’s pegs; French: piquants noirs, bident hérissé, herbe d’aiguille, herbe villebague (Mauritius); Other: piripiri kerekere (Cook Islands); piripiri (Cook Islands, French Polynesia (Tahiti)); nīroa (Cook Islands (Aitutaki)); kamika tuarongo (Cook Islands (Mangaia)); tae puaka (Futuna); batimadramadra, mbatimandramandra, mbatikalawau, matakaro, matua kamate (Fiji); ki, ki nehe, ki pipili, nehe (Hawai’i); kofe tonga, kofetoga (Niue); fisi’uli (Tonga) | Asteraceae | herb |
| Blechum pyramidatum | English: green shrimp plant, blackweed (Samoa), Browne’s blechum; Other: ererion , fetinin namocels (Chuuk); yetbas babney (CNMI—Alamagan); lasaga, yetbas babui (CNMI—Saipan); ligakoka (Faraulap); yerbas babui (Guam);, aurowra (Nomwin); vao uli (Samoa); atait (Satawal); gacel, malai, melai (Yap) | Acanthaceae | herb |
| Bryophyllum pinnatum | English: life plant, air plant, resurrection plant, Canterbury bells, cathedral bells, Mexican love plant; Other: ngāngā‘ere toka (Cook Islands); bulatawamudu (Fiji); ‘oliwa ku kahakai (Hawai’i); te ang (Kiribati), te kabekau (Kiribati (Butaritari)); kibilia (Marshall Islands); tupu he lau, tupu noa (Niue); pagi (Samoa); pipi vao (Tonga) | Crassulaceae | succulent |
| Cenchrus echinatus | English: burgrass, sand-bur, southern sandbur, Mossman River grass (Australia); French: herbe a cateaux (Mauritius); Other: tuitui, vao tuitui (American Samoa and Samoa); piripiri (Cook Islands); pārango (Cook Islands (Ngaputoru)); se mbulabula (Fiji); piri-piri, pipiri (French Polynesia); mau‘u kuku, ‘ume‘alu (Hawai’i); te anti, te kateketeke, te uteute ae kateketeke (Kiribati); cram-cram (New Caledonia); motie vihilago, mosie vihilango (Niue); lõklõk, kãlõklõk, lellik, lekelik, liklik, karmwijmwij, karumwij (Marshall Islands); cauit-cauitan (Philippines); hefa (Tonga) | Poaceae | grass |
| ‡Cestrum nocturnum | English: night-flowering cestrum, night-flowering jasmine, queen (or lady) of the night; Other: teine o le po, ali‘I o le po (American Samoa and Samoa); tiare ariki-va‘ine, ariki-va‘ine (Cook Islands); thauthau, thauthau ni mbongi, kara (Fiji); dama-de-noche (Guam); ‘ala aumoe, kupaoa, onaona Iapana (Hawai’i); joñoul ru awa (Marshall Islands); iki he po (Niue); lakau po‘uli (Tonga) | Solanaceae | shrub |
| Chamaesyce hirta | English: asthma plant, garden spurge, pill-bearing spurge, hairy spurge, sneeze weed (Solomon Islands); French: herbe a dysenterie, herbe a verrues; Other: totototo titā (Cook Islands (Ma‘uke)); ndeniose, ndeniosi, samunggawe, ovuka, ovoku (Fiji); eaea, raau topau (French Polynesia); golondrina (Guam-Chamorro); koko kahiki (Hawai’i); te tarai, te tarai Kutiaie (Kiribati); toto tane (Niue); udall (Palau); la‘au fai moti (Samoa); sakisi (Tonga) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Chamaesyce hypericifolia | English: beach spurge, graceful spurge; Other: ufi tamaiti? (Samoa) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Chamaesyce prostrata | English: creeping splurge, prostrate spurge, red caustic creeper; Other: bodulagas-chaca (Chamorro-Guam); te tarai (Kiribati); toto fifine, toto fefine? (Niue); laulili’I (Samoa); papati (French Polynesia (Society Islands)) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Cyperus compressus | English: flat sedge; Other: pakopako (Tonga) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| *Cyperus involucratus | English: umbrella sedge, umbrella plant, dwarf papyrus grass; Other: ‘ahu‘awa haole, pu‘uka‘a haole (Hawai’i), deus (Palau) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Cyperus rotundus | English: nut grass, nutsedge, purple nutsedge, cocograss; French: souchet rond, souchet à tubercules, herbe à oignon; Other: mauku ‘ōniāni, ‘ōniāni (Cook Islands); soro na kambani, sora na kambani, soro ni kabani, ivako, malanga, vucesa, motha, vuthesa mot ha (Fiji); chaguan humatag (Guam); kili’o’opu, mau‘u mokae (Hawai’i); te mumute (Kiribati); tuteoneon (Marshall Islands); mumuta (Samoa, Tokelau); pakopako (Tonga) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Dentella repens | Other: te uteute n Imatang (Kiribati (Butaritari)) | herb | |
| Eleocharis geniculata | Other: te maunei (Kiribati) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| *Epipremnum pinnatum cv. Aureum | English: pothos, money plant; Other: ‘ara (Cook Islands (Ma‘uke)); yalu, wa yalu, wa lu, halu, waloa, matha, nanggalanggala, nanggalinggali, tonga, tanga (Fiji); alu (Fiji, Tonga) | Araceae | vine |
| Eustachys petraea | Poaceae | grass | |
| Leucaena leucocephala | English: leucaena, wild tamarind, lead tree; French: graines de lin, faux-acacia, faux mimosa (New Caledonia); Other: fua pepe (American Samoa and Samoa); nītō, mara‘inu (Cook Islands); vaivai, vaivai ni vavalangi, vaivai dina, balori (Fiji); atiku (French Polynesia (Marquesas)); ipel-ipel (Galapagos); tangantangan, tangan-tangan, talantayan (Guam, CNMI, Marshall Islands); talntangan (CNMI); koa haole, lili-koa, ekoa (Hawai’i); te kaitetua (Kiribati); tuhngantuhngan, rohbohtin (Kosrae); tavahi kaku (Niue); pepe (Niue and Samoa); telengtungd (Palau); lusina (Samoa); siale mohemohe (Tonga); cassis (Vanuatu); ganitnityuwan tangantan (Yap); namas (from Ecoport, source not given) | Fabaceae | tree |
| Macroptilium atropurpureum | English: siratro, purple bushbean | Fabaceae | vine |
| ‡Panicum maximum | English: Guinea grass, green panic, buffalograss; French: herbe de Guinéa, panic élevé, capime guiné, fataque; Other: vao kini (American Samoa and Samoa); tinikarāti (Cook Islands); talapi? (Cook Islands (Ma‘uke); saafa (Tonga) | Poaceae | grass |
| Passiflora foetida | English: love-in-a-mist, wild passion fruit, passionflower, stinking passionflower; French: passiflore; Other: pasio vao (American Samoa and Samoa); bombom (Chuuk), sou, loliloli ni kalavo, qaranidila (Fiji); pohapoha (Hawai’i); lani wai (Hawai’i (Ni‘ihau)); te biku (Kiribati); vine vao (Niue); kudamono (Palau); pompom, pwomwpwomw (Pohnpei); kinahulo‘ atdao, dulce (Saipan); vaine ‘initia (Tonga); tomates (Yap) | Passifloraceae | vine |
| †‡Pennisetum polystachion | English: mission grass, feathery pennisetum; French: queue de chat; Other: mechen katu (Chuuk), desum (Palau); pwokso, dipw rais (Pohnpei), o tamata (Fiji) | Poaceae | grass |
| Pennisetum purpureum | English: elephant grass, napier grass, merker grass; French: herbe �ternal�, fausse canne à sucre; Other: ‘erepani (Cook Islands (‘Atiu)); acfucsracsracsr (Kosrae); bokso (Palau); puk-soh (Pohnpei); vao povi (Samoa) | Poaceae | grass |
| Phyllanthus amarus | Other: moemoe (Cook Islands); moemoe uouo (French Polynesia); maigo-lalo (Guam-Chamorro); te kaimatu (Kiribati); ukalla ruchel (Palau) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Pluchea carolinensis | English: sour bush; Other: te kaikare, te karei (Kiribati) | Asteraceae | shrub |
| Pluchea indica | English: Indian fleabane, Indian pluchea, Indian camphorweed | Asteraceae | shrub |
| *†Prosopis spp. | English: mesquite, algaroba | Fabaceae | tree |
| Ricinus communis | English: castor bean, castor-oil plant; French: ricin; Other: lama palagi, lama papalagi (American Samoa and Samoa); tuitui papa‘ā (Cook Islands); mbele ni vavalagi, toto ni vavalagi, utouto (Fiji); agaliya (Guam); koli, pa‘aila, ka‘apeha, kamakou, la‘au, ‘aila (Hawai’i); tuitui, tuitui fua ikiiki (Niue); gelug, maskerekur, uluchula skoki (Palau); lepo, lepohina (Tonga) | Euphorbiaceae | shrub |
| Russelia equisetiformis | English: coralplant, fountainplant; French: plante corail; Other: menemene (Cook Islands (Ma‘uke)); te kaibaun (Kiribati) | Scrophulariaceae | shrub |
| Senna occidentalis | English: antbush, coffee senna; French: bentamaré, café bâtard, casse-puante, dartrier; Other: kau mothe, pini (Fiji); amot-tumaga karabao, mumutun-sable (Guam-Chamorro); ‘auko‘I, ‘au‘auko‘I, mikipalaoa, pī hohono (Hawai’i); te katia (Kiribati); tan brava (Nauru); korriu (Palau); te‘epulu (Tonga) | Fabaceae | shrub |
| †‡Solanum torvum | English: prickly solanum, devil’s fig, turkeyberry, terongan; French: fausse aubergine, aubergine sauvage épineuse; Other: piko (Vanuatu); tisaipale (Tonga); kausoni, soni, kauvoto-votua, kaisurisuri, katai, bhankatiya, soni ni vavalagi (Fiji), lapiti (Samoa) | Solanaceae | shrub |
| Spermacoce assurgens | English: buttonweed; Other: okulabeluu (Palau) | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Spermacoce ernstii | Rubiaceae | herb | |
| Stachytarpheta cayennensis | English: blue rat’s tail, dark-blue snakeweed, false verbena, nettleleaf velvetberry; French: herbe bleue; Other: mautofu tai, mautofu vao, mautofu fualanumoana (American Samoa and Samoa);ouchung, sakura (Chuuk); tiāki (Cook Islands (Miti‘aro)); turulakaka, tumbutumbu, serakawa, lavenia, se karakarawa (Fiji), te uti (Kiribati); mautofu Samoa, motofu Samoa (Niue); louch beluu (Palau); hiku ‘I kuma, hiku‘kuma, ‘iku ‘I kuma, iku ‘ikuma (Tonga) | Verbenaceae | herb |
| Stachytarpheta jamaicensis | English: bastard vervain, blue porterweed, Brazilian tea, Jamaica vervain, joee, light blue snakeweed; Other: ōwī, oī (Hawaii), te uti (Kiribati), louch beluu (Palau) | Verbenaceae | herb |
| Synedrella nodiflora | English: Cinderella weed (Australia), porter bush, pig grass (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu), synedrella; Other: ngaroiarui (Cook Islands (‘Atiu)); lau‘oti‘oti, tae‘oti (Samoa); pakaka, pakopako (Tonga) | Asteraceae | herb |
| *Tradescantia spathacea | English: oyster plant, boat plant, boat lily, moses in a boat; Other: riri mangio (Cook Islands (Ma‘uke)); riri raei (Cook Islands (Miti‘aro)); te ruru ni (Kiribati); talotalo, laupapaki (Niue); kobesos (Palau); faina kula (Tonga) | Commelinaceae | herb |
| *Tradescantia zebrina | English: wandering jew, inchplant; Other: mauku papa‘ā (Cook Islands (Mangaia)) | Commelinaceae | herb |
| Tridax procumbens | English: coat buttons, tridax daisy, wild daisy (Fiji, Guam); Other: tubua leka, voti (Fiji) | Asteraceae | herb |
| Turnera ulmifolia | English: yellow alder, sage rose, West Indian holly, ramgoat dashalong; Other: te kakainea (Kiribati); nõr in jiboñ (Marshall Islands) | Turneraceae | shrub |
| Vernonia cinerea | English: ironweed, little ironweed, vernonia; Other: vutikaumondro, tho vuka (Fiji); chaguan Santa Maria (Guam—Chamorro); etngeong (Palau); fisi puna (Tonga) | Asteraceae | herb |
| Waltheria indica | Other: ‘uhaloa, ‘ala‘ala pū loa, hal ‘uhaloa, hi‘aloa, kanakaloa (Hawai’i) | Sterculiaceae | shrub |
*Cultivated or, if not seen, most likely in cultivation
†Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979)
‡Reported present by Swarbrick (1997)
Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER!
[Return to Kiribati report] [ Return to PIER homepage ]
This page new 20 September 2004