Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
Report on invasive plant species in Kiribati
Appendix 3. Invasive species by location
Table 1. Invasive species present on Tarawa
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Family |
Habit |
| +Abutilon indicum | albutilon, Indian abutilon, Indian mallow; te kaura, te kaura ni (Kiribati) | Malvaceae | shrub |
| *Acacia farnesiana | Ellington curse, klu, sweet acacia; te kaibakoa, te aketia (Kiribati) | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Achyranthes aspera | chaff-flower, devil's horsewhip; prickly chaff-flower | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Agave americana | American aloe, century plant | Agavaceae | succulent |
| Agave sisalana | sisal, sisal hemp; te robu, te rob' (Kiribati) | Agavaceae | succulent |
| *Allamanda cathartica | yellow trumpet vine, golden trumpet, allamanda, brownbud allamanda, golden allamanda, golden cup | Apocynaceae | vine |
| Amaranthus dubius | amaranth, spleen amaranth; te uekeueke, te mota (Kiribati) | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Amaranthus viridis | green amaranth, pigweed, slender amaranth) | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| *#Annona squamosa | sugar apple, sweetsop, custard apple, sugar apple | Annonaceae | tree |
| Antigonon leptopus | Mexican creeper, mountain rose, Confederate vine, chain-of-love, hearts on a chain, love-vine, coral bells, coral vine, queens jewels, kadena de amor, corallita | Polygonaceae | vine |
| Asclepias curassavica | bastard ipecac, blood flower, bloodflower milkweed, butterfly weed, false ipecac, milkweed | Asclepiadaceae | herb |
| *Asystasia gangetica | Chinese violet, Philippine violet, coromandel | Acanthaceae | herb |
| Bidens pilosa | beggars tick, Spanish needle, cobbler's pegs | Asteraceae | herb |
| Blechum pyramidatum | green shrimp plant | Acanthaceae | herb |
| Brassica juncea | Chinese mustard, India mustard, Indian mustard, Oriental mustard; te kabiti, te kabiti n Tiaina (Kiribati) | Brassicaceae | herb |
| *#Breynia disticha | snowbush, snowbush breynia, sweetpea bush, foliage-flower | Euphorbiaceae | shrub |
| Bryophyllum delagoense | chandelier plant | Crassulaceae | succulent |
| Bryophyllum pinnatum | life plant, air plant, resurrection plant, Canterbury bells, cathedral bells; te ang (Kiribati), te kabekau (Kiribati (Butaritari)) | Crassulaceae | succulent |
| *Caladium bicolor | caladium, elephant's-ear, fancy-leaf caladium, heart-of-Jesus | Araceae | herb |
| *Calotropis gigantea | calotrope, crown flower, madar; te bumorimori (Kiribati | Ascelepiadaceae | shrub |
| Calyptocarpus vialis | Asteraceae | herb | |
| *Canna indica | canna, canna lily, Indian shot; te riti (Kiribati) | Cannaceae | herb |
| Casuarina equisetifolia | casuarina, ironwood, Australian pine, she-oak, horsetail tree, beefwood; pientri (pinetree), bϋ ukam (bluegum on some atolls), nidil, nidυ (needle on some atolls), te burukam, te katurina (Kiribati) | Casuarinaceae | tree |
| Catharanthus roseus | Cape periwinkle, Madagascar periwinkle, old-maid, rose periwinkle, rosy periwinkle) | Apocynaceae | herb |
| Cenchrus ciliaris | buffelgrass, African foxtail grass, anjan grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Cenchrus echinatus | burgrass, sand-bur, southern sandbur, Mossman River grass (Australia); ; te anti, te kateketeke, te uteute ae kateketeke (Kiribati) | Poaceae | grass |
| *Cestrum nocturnum | night-flowering cestrum, queen (or lady) of the night | Solanaceae | shrub |
| Chamaecrista nictitans | partridge pea, Japanese tea senna | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Chamaesyce hirta | asthma plant, garden spurge, pill-bearing spurge, hairy spurge | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Chamaesyce hypericifolia | beach spurge, graceful spurge | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Chamaesyce prostrata | creeping splurge, prostrate spurge, red caustic creeper; te tarai (Kiribati) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Chamaesyce thymifolia | red caustic creeper, thyme-leafed spurge | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Chloris barbata | swollen fingergrass, purpletop chloris (Australia), airport grass (Fiji) | Poaceae | grass |
| Cleome viscosa | tickweed, spider flower | Capparaceae | herb |
| *Clitoria ternatea | butterfly pea | Fabaceae | vine |
| Conyza bonariensis | flax-leaf fleabane, hairy fleabane, hairy horseweed, wavy-leaf fleabane | Asteraceae | herb |
| Crotalaria incana | fuzzy rattlepod, woolly rattlepod | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Crotalaria retusa | devil-bean, wedge-leaf crotalaria, wedge-leaf rattlepod | Fabaceae | herb |
| Crotalaria spectabilis | rattlebox, showy crotalaria, showy rattlebox, showy rattlepod | Fabaceae | herb |
| Cynodon dactylon | Bermuda grass, devil's grass, couch grass, Indian doab, grama, devilgrass, couchgrass, balama grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Cyperus compressus | flat sedge | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| *Cyperus involucratus | umbrella sedge, umbrella plant, dwarf papyrus grass | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Cyperus rotundus | nut grass, purple nutsedge, cocograss; te mumute (Kiribati) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Dactyloctenium aegyptium | beach wiregrass, button grass, coast button grass, comb fringe grass, crowfoot grass, finger comb grass; te uteute (Kiribati) | Poaceae | grass |
| Datura metel | datura, downy thorn-apple, Hindu datura, Hindu thorn-apple, hoary thorn-apple, jimson-weed, purple thorn-apple; te uri ni tiana (Kiribati) | Solanaceae | herb |
| *Delonix regia | flame tree, flamboyant, poinciana; te kaitetua (Kiribati) | Fabaceae | tree |
| Dentella repens | te uteute n Imatang (Kiribati (Butaritari)) | herb | |
| Desmodium incanum | kaimi clover, Spanish clover | Fabaceae | herb |
| Desmodium tortuosum | Florida beggarweed, Spanish clover, dixie ticktrefoil | Fabaceae | herb |
| Desmodium triflorum | creeping tick trefoil, three-flower beggarweed, tropical trefoil | Fabaceae | herb |
| Eleocharis geniculata | te maunei | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Eleusine indica | goosegrass, wiregrass, goose foot, crow's foot, bullgrass; te uteute, te uteute na banabana (Kiribati) | Poaceae | grass |
| Eleutheranthera ruderalis | Asteraceae | herb | |
| Emilia sonchifolia | Cupid's shaving-brush, emilia, Flora's paint brush, purple sow thistle, sow thistle | Asteraceae | herb |
| *Epipremnum pinnatum cv. Aureum | pothos, money plant | Araceae | vine |
| +Eragrostis amabilis | Bug's egg grass, Japanese love grass, love grass (Fiji, Guam), female grass (Kiribati); te uteute n aine, te uteute te aine (Kiribati) | Poaceae | grass |
| Euphorbia cyathophora | dwarf poinsettia, fire-on-the-mountain, Mexican fire plant, painted spurge, wild poinsettia; te kabekau (Kiribati) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Eustachys petraea | Poaceae | grass | |
| *Ficus benghalensis | banyan, Indian banyan, vada tree | Moraceae | tree |
| *Gliricidia sepium | mother of cacao, quickstick, Mexican lilac | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Gloriosa superba | climbing-lily, creeping-lily, flame-lily, glory-lily, gloriosa lily | Liliaceae | herb |
| Gomphrena globosa | bachelor's-button, globe amaranth; te motiti, te moteti (Kiribati) | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Heliotropium procumbens var. depressum | four-spike heliotrope, slender heliotrope | Boraginaceae | herb |
| *Ipomoea aquatica | aquatic morning glory, swamp cabbage, water spinach, ung-choi, kang kong; te kang kong, te ruku (Kiribati) | Convolvulaceae | aquatic herb |
| Ipomoea violacea | Moonflower; te ruku (Kiribati, native) | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Jasminum sambac | Arabian jasmine; te bitati (Kiribati) | Oleaceae | vine |
| *Lantana camara | te kaibuaka, lantana | Verbenaceae | shrub |
| Leucaena leucocephala | leucaena, wild tamarind, lead tree; ; te kaitetua (Kiribati) | Fabaceae | tree |
| #Licuala grandis | ruffled fan palm | Arecaceae | tree (palm) |
| +Ludwigia octovalvis | willow primrose, false primrose, yellow willow herb; te mam (Kiribati) | Onagraceae | herb |
| Macroptilium atropurpureum | siratro, purple bushbean | Fabaceae | vine |
| Malvastrum coromandelianum | false mallow, prickly malvastrum | Malvaceae | herb |
| Melinis repens | Natal redtop, Natal grass, red Natal grass, Holme's grass, blanketgrass | Poaceae | grass |
| *Momordica charantia | balsam-apple, bitter-melon, bitter gourd, balsam pear, squirting cucumber, cerasee, peria | Cucurbitaceae | vine |
| Ocimum basilicum | te marou, sweet basil | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Oldenlandia corymbosa | Rubiaceae | herb | |
| Panicum maximum | Guinea grass, green panic, buffalograss | Poaceae | grass |
| Paspalum fimbriatum | fimbriate paspalum, winged paspalum, Panama paspalum, Panama crowngrass, Columbia grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Paspalum scrobiculatum | rice grass; creeping paspalum, ditch millet, Indian paspalum, kodo millet, water couch | Poaceae | grass |
| Paspalum setaceum | Poaceae | grass | |
| Passiflora edulis | passion fruit, yellow passion fruit, purple passion fruit, qarandila, purple granadilla | Passifloraceae | vine |
| Passiflora foetida | love-in-a-mist, wild passion fruit, passionflower, stinking passionflower; te biku (Kiribati) | Passifloraceae | vine |
| Pennisetum purpureum | elephant grass, napier grass, merker grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Phyllanthus amarus | te kaimatu (Kiribati) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Physalis angulata | annual ground cherry; te baraki, te bin (Kiribati) | Solanaceae | herb |
| Pilea microphylla | artillery plant, gunpowder plant, pistol plant, rockweed | Urticaceae | herb |
| Pluchea carolinensis | sour bush; te kaikare, te karei (Kiribati) | Asteraceae | shrub |
| Polygala paniculata | island snake-root | Polygalaceae | herb |
| Portulaca oleracea | pigweed, purslane; te boi (Kirbati) | Portulacaceae | herb |
| *Prosopis spp. | mesquite, algaroba | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Pseuderanthemum carruthersii | false eranthemum; te iaro (Kiribati) | Acanthaceae | shrub |
| Psidium guajava | guava; te kuawa, te kuwawa (Kiribati) | Myrtaceae | tree |
| Pueraria montana var. lobata | kudzu, Japanese arrowroot | Fabaceae | vine |
| Ricinus communis | castor bean, castor-oil plant | Euphorbiaceae | shrub |
| Russelia equisetiformis | coralplant, fountainplant; te kaibaun (Kiribati) | Scrophulariaceae | shrub |
| *Sansevieria trifasciata | bowstring hemp, mother-in-laws tongue | Agavaceae | herb |
| Senna occidentalis | antbush, coffee senna; te katia (Kiribati) | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Sida rhombifolia | arrow-leaf sida, Cuban jute, Queensland-hemp, teaweed | Malvaceae | shrub |
| +Sigesbeckia orientalis | Indian weed, small yellow crown-beard, yellow crown-head | Asteraceae | herb |
| Solanum torvum | prickly solanum, devil's fig, turkeyberry | Solanaceae | shrub |
| *Solenostemon scutellarioides | coleus | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Sonchus oleraceus | annual sow thistle, common sow thistle, hare's-lettuce, milk thistle | Asteraceae | herb |
| Spermacoce assurgens | buttonweed | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Spermacoce ernstii | Rubiaceae | herb | |
| Sphagneticola trilobata | wedelia, trailing daisy, Singapore daisy, creeping ox-eye | Asteraceae | herb |
| Sporobolus indicus | smutgrass, wiregrass, Indian dropseed | Poaceae | grass |
| Stachytarpheta cayennensis | blue rat's tail, dark-blue snakeweed, false verbena, nettleleaf velvetberry; te uti (Kiribati) | Verbenaceae | herb |
| Stachytarpheta jamaicensis | bastard vervain, blue porterweed, Brazilian tea, Jamaica vervain, joee, light blue snakeweed; te uti (Kiribati) | Verbenaceae | herb |
| Stenotaphrum secundatum | buffalo grass, St. Augustine grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Synedrella nodiflora | Cinderella weed (Australia), porter bush, pig grass (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu), synedrella; | Asteraceae | herb |
| *Tecoma stans | yellow bells, yellow-elder, yellow trumpetbush; nei Karairai (Kiribati) | Bignoniaceae | small tree |
| *Tradescantia spathacea | oyster plant, boat plant, boat lily, moses in a boat; te ruru ni (Kiribati) | Commelinaceae | herb |
| *Tradescantia zebrina | wandering zebrina, wandering jew, inchplant | Commelinaceae | herb |
| Tridax procumbens | coat buttons, tridax daisy, wild daisy (Fiji, Guam) | Asteraceae | herb |
| Turnera ulmifolia | yellow alder, sage rose, West Indian holly, ramgoat dashalong: te kakainea (Kiribati) | Turneraceae | shrub |
| Urochloa subquadripara | brachiaria, green summer grass, tropical signalgrass, cori grass | Poaceae | grass |
| +Vernonia cinerea | ironweed, little ironweed, vernonia | Asteraceae | herb |
| Waltheria indica | Sterculiaceae | shrub | |
| Ziziphus mauritiana | Indian jujube, Chinese date, Chinee apple; Other: manzanas, manzanita, jujube (Guam); baer, bahir, baher (Fiji) | Rhamnaceae | tree |
*Cultivated or, if not seen, most likely in cultivation
+Native or early introduction
Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979)
Reported present by Swarbrick (1997)
#Reported present by Thaman (1987)
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