Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
Report on invasive plant species in Kiribati
Appendix 3. Invasive species by location
Table 2. Invasive species present on Abemama
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Family |
Habit |
| Agave sisalana | sisal, sisal hemp; te robu, te rob' (Kiribati) | Agavaceae | succulent |
| Amaranthus dubius | amaranth, spleen amaranth; te uekeueke, te mota (Kiribati) | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Bryophyllum pinnatum | life plant, air plant; te ang (Kiribati), te kabekau (Kiribati (Butaritari)) | Crassulaceae | succulent |
| Casuarina equisetifolia | casuarina, ironwood, Australian pine, she-oak, horsetail tree, beefwood; pientri (pinetree), bû ukam (bluegum on some atolls), nidil, nidõ (needle on some atolls), te burukam, te katurina (Kiribati) | Casuarinaceae | tree |
| *Catharanthus roseus | Cape periwinkle, Madagascar periwinkle, old-maid, rosy periwinkle) | Apocynaceae | herb |
| Cenchrus ciliaris | burgrass, sand-bur, southern sandbur, Mossman River grass (Australia); ; te anti, te kateketeke, te uteute ae kateketeke (Kiribati) | Poaceae | grass |
| 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; te tarai (Kiribati) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| †Chloris barbata | swollen fingergrass, purpletop chloris (Australia), airport grass (Fiji) | Poaceae | grass |
| Cynodon dactylon | Bermuda grass, giant Bermuda grass, bahama grass, couch grass, Indian doab, grama, devilgrass, couchgrass, balama grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Cyperus compressus | flat sedge | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Cyperus rotundus | nut grass, nutsedge, purple nutsedge; te mumute (Kiribati) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Datura metel | datura, downy thorn-apple, jimson-weed, purple thorn-apple; te uri ni tiana (Kiribati) | Solanaceae | herb |
| Dentella repens | te uteute n Imatang (Kiribati (Butaritari)) | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Eleusine indica | goosegrass, wiregrass, goose foot, crow's foot, bullgrass; te uteute, te uteute na banabana (Kiribati) | Poaceae | grass |
| +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 | |
| *Gloriosa superba | climbing-lily, creeping-lily, flame-lily, glory-lily, gloriosa lily | Liliaceae | herb |
| *Ipomoea aquatica | aquatic morning glory, swamp cabbage, water spinach, ung-choi, kang kong; te kang kong, te ruku (Kiribati) | Convolvulaceae | aquatic herb |
| *Lantana camara | te kaibuaka, lantana | Verbenaceae | shrub |
| Leucaena leucocephala | leucaena, wild tamarind, lead tree; ; te kaitetua (Kiribati) | Fabaceae | tree |
| +Ludwigia octovalvis | willow primrose, false primrose, yellow willow herb; te mam (Kiribati) | Onagraceae | herb |
| Malvastrum coromandelianum | false mallow, prickly malvastrum | Malvaceae | herb |
| Ocimum basilicum | te marou, sweet basil | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Phyllanthus amarus | te kaimatu (Kiribati) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Physalis angulata | annual ground cherry; te baraki, te bin (Kiribati) | Solanaceae | herb |
| Portulaca oleracea | pigweed, purslane; te boi (Kirbati) | Portulacaceae | herb |
| *Pseuderanthemum carruthersii | false eranthemum; te iaro (Kiribati) | Acanthaceae | shrub |
| Russelia equisetiformis | coralplant, fountainplant; te kaibaun (Kiribati) | Scrophulariaceae | shrub |
| Sida rhombifolia | arrow-leaf sida, Queensland-hemp, teaweed | Malvaceae | shrub |
| †Solanum torvum | prickly solanum, devil's fig, turkeyberry | Solanaceae | shrub |
| Spermacoce assurgens | buttonweed | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Spermacoce ernstii | buttonweed | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Stachytarpheta jamaicensis | bastard vervain, blue porterweed, Brazilian tea, Jamaica vervain, joee, light blue snakeweed; te uti (Kiribati) | Verbenaceae | herb |
| Tecoma stans | yellow bells, yellow-elder, yellow trumpetbush; nei Karairai (Kiribati) | Bignoniaceae | small tree |
| Tridax procumbens | coat buttons, tridax daisy, wild daisy (Fiji, Guam) | Asteraceae | herb |
| Turnera ulmifolia | yellow alder, sage rose, West Indian holly; 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 |
*Cultivated or, if not seen, most likely in cultivation
+Native or early introduction
†Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979)
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