Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

Report on invasive plant species in Kiribati

Appendix 4.  Presence of invasive species within Kiribati

Table 3.   Species present elsewhere in Kiribati but not on Butaritari

Scientific Name

Common Names

Family

Habit

Locations where present
Abutilon indicum albutilon, Indian abutilon, Indian mallow; te kaura, te kaura ni (Kiribati) Malvaceae shrub Tarawa, Banaba
Acacia farnesiana Ellington curse, klu, sweet acacia; te kaibakoa, te aketia (Kiribati) Fabaceae shrub Tarawa, Nikunau
Achyranthes aspera chaff-flower, devil's horsewhip; prickly chaff-flower Amaranthaceae herb Tarawa
Agave americana American aloe, century plant Agavaceae succulent Tarawa
Agave sisalana sisal, sisal hemp; te robu, te rob' (Kiribati) Agavaceae succulent Tarawa, Abaiang, Abemama, Arorai, Nikunau
Allamanda cathartica yellow trumpet vine, golden trumpet, allamanda, brownbud allamanda, golden allamanda, golden cup Apocynaceae vine Tarawa
Amaranthus viridis green amaranth, pigweed, slender amaranth) Amaranthaceae herb Tarawa
Annona squamosa sugar apple, sweetsop, custard apple, sugar apple Annonaceae tree Tarawa
Antigonon leptopus 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 Polygonaceae vine Tarawa
Brassica juncea Chinese mustard, India mustard, Indian mustard, Oriental mustard; te kabiti, te kabiti n Tiaina (Kiribati) Brassicaceae herb Tarawa
Breynia disticha snowbush, snowbush breynia, sweetpea bush, foliage-flower Euphorbiaceae shrub Tarawa
Bryophyllum delagoense chandelier plant Crassulaceae succulent Tarawa
Caladium bicolor caladium, elephant's-ear, fancy-leaf caladium, heart-of-Jesus Araceae herb Tarawa
Calotropis gigantea calotrope, crown flower; te bumorimori (Kiribati Ascelepiadaceae shrub Tarawa
Calyptocarpus vialis   Asteraceae herb Tarawa
Cenchrus ciliaris buffelgrass, African foxtail grass, anjan grass Poaceae grass Tarawa
Cestrum nocturnum night-flowering cestrum Solanaceae shrub Tarawa
Chamaecrista nictitans partridge pea, Japanese tea senna Fabaceae shrub Tarawa
Chamaesyce thymifolia red caustic creeper, thyme-leafed spurge Euphorbiaceae herb Tarawa
Chloris barbata swollen fingergrass, purpletop chloris (Australia), airport grass (Fiji) Poaceae grass Tarawa, Abemama
Cleome viscosa tickweed, spider flower Capparaceae herb Tarawa
Clitoria ternatea butterfly pea Fabaceae vine Tarawa
Crotalaria incana fuzzy rattlepod, woolly rattlepod Fabaceae shrub Tarawa
Crotalaria retusa devil-bean, wedge-leaf crotalaria, wedge-leaf rattlepod Fabaceae herb Tarawa
Crotalaria spectabilis rattlebox, showy crotalaria, showy rattlebox, showy rattlepod Fabaceae herb Tarawa
Cynodon dactylon Bermuda grass, bahama grass, couch grass, Indian doab, grama, devilgrass, balama grass Poaceae grass Tarawa, Abemama
Cyperus involucratus umbrella sedge, umbrella plant, dwarf papyrus grass Cyperaceae sedge Tarawa
Dactyloctenium aegyptium beach wiregrass, button grass, coast button grass, comb fringe grass, crowfoot grass, finger comb grass; te uteute (Kiribati) Poaceae grass Tarawa
Desmodium incanum kaimi clover, Spanish clover Fabaceae herb Tarawa
Desmodium tortuosum Florida beggarweed, Spanish clover, dixie ticktrefoil Fabaceae herb Tarawa
Desmodium triflorum creeping tick trefoil, three-flower beggarweed, tropical trefoil Fabaceae herb Tarawa
Eleutheranthera ruderalis   Asteraceae herb Tarawa
Emilia sonchifolia Cupid's shaving-brush, emilia, Flora's paint brush, purple sow thistle, sow thistle Asteraceae herb Tarawa
Epipremnum pinnatum cv. Aureum pothos, money plant Araceae vine Tarawa
Ficus benghalensis banyan, Indian banyan, vada tree Moraceae tree Tarawa
Gliricidia sepium mother of cacao, quickstick, Mexican lilac Fabaceae tree Tarawa
Gomphrena globosa bachelor's-button, bozu, globe amaranth, pearly everlasting; te motiti, te moteti (Kiribati) Amaranthaceae herb Tarawa
Heliotropium procumbens var. depressum four-spike heliotrope, slender heliotrope Boraginaceae herb Tarawa
Ipomoea aquatica aquatic morning glory, swamp cabbage, water spinach, ung-choi, kang kong; te kang kong, te ruku (Kiribati) Convolvulaceae aquatic herb Tarawa, Abemama
Jasminum sambac Arabian jasmine; te bitati (Kiribati) Oleaceae vine Tarawa
Kyllinga brevifolia green kyllinga, green water sedge Cyperaceae sedge Nonouti
Licuala grandis ruffled fan palm Arecaceae tree (palm) Tarawa
Macroptilium atropurpureum siratro, purple bushbean Fabaceae vine Tarawa
Malvastrum coromandelianum false mallow, prickly malvastrum Malvaceae herb Tarawa?, Abemama
Melinis repens Natal redtop, Natal grass, red Natal grass, Holme's grass, blanketgrass Poaceae grass Tarawa
Momordica charantia balsam-apple, bitter-melon, bitter gourd, balsam pear, squirting cucumber, cerasee, peria Cucurbitaceae vine Tarawa
Ocimum basilicum te marou, sweet basil Lamiaceae herb Tarawa, Abemama
Panicum maximum Guinea grass, green panic, buffalograss Poaceae grass Tarawa
Paspalum fimbriatum fimbriate paspalum, winged paspalum, Panama paspalum, Panama crowngrass, Columbia grass Poaceae grass Tarawa
Paspalum scrobiculatum rice grass; creeping paspalum, ditch millet, Indian paspalum, kodo millet, water couch Poaceae grass Tarawa
Paspalum setaceum   Poaceae grass Abemama
Passiflora edulis passion fruit, yellow passion fruit, purple passion fruit, qarandila, purple granadilla Passifloraceae vine Tarawa
Pennisetum purpureum elephant grass, napier grass, merker grass Poaceae grass Tarawa
Polygala paniculata island snake-root Polygalaceae herb Tarawa
Prosopis spp. mesquite, algaroba Fabaceae tree Tarawa
Psidium guajava guava; te kuawa, te kuwawa (Kiribati) Myrtaceae tree Tarawa, Banaba
Pueraria montana var. lobata kudzu, Japanese arrowroot Fabaceae vine Tarawa
Sida acuta broom weed, southern sida, spiny sida Malvaceae herb Banaba, Maiana
Sigesbeckia orientalis Indian weed, small yellow crown-beard, yellow crown-head Asteraceae herb Tarawa
Solanum torvum prickly solanum, devil's fig, turkeyberry Solanaceae shrub Tarawa, Abemama
Solenostemon scutellarioides coleus Lamiaceae herb Tarawa
Sonchus oleraceus common sow thistle Asteraceae herb Tarawa
Stenotaphrum secundatum   buffalo grass, St. Augustine grass Poaceae grass Tarawa
Tradescantia zebrina wandering zebrina, wandering jew, inchplant Commelinaceae herb Tarawa
Tribulus cistoides puncture vine, caltrop, burrnut, goat’s head; te maukinikini (Kiribati) Zygophyllaceae herb Kiritimati (Christmas)
Urochloa subquadripara brachiaria, green summer grass, tropical signalgrass, cori grass Poaceae grass Tarawa, Abemama
Waltheria indica   Sterculiaceae shrub Tarawa
Ziziphus mauritiana Indian jujube, Chinese date Rhamnaceae tree Tarawa

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