Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

Report on invasive plant species on Niue following Cyclone Heta

Appendix 1.

Table 4. Native species and Polynesian introductions that exhibit aggressive behaviour

Scientific Name

Common Names (abridged)

Family

Habit

Sykes (1970)

Whistler (1988)

Whistler (1997)

Space & Flynn (2000)

This survey (2004)
Abelmoschus moschatus Niuean: fou ingo; English: fautia, musk mallow, musk okra; Other: ‘aute toga, fau tagaloa, fua samasama (American Samoa and Samoa); vavai tara (Cook Islands); ta‘uri‘au (Cook Islands (Mangaia)); loa, fau‘ingo (Tonga); fau ingo (Wallis and Futuna) Malvaceae herb

X

X

 

X

 
Acalypha lanceolata Niuean: ongoongo?, mangiho?; Other: puapua (Cook Islands (Miti'aro)); ogo ogo (Samoa); hongohongo (Tonga Euphorbiaceae herb

X

X

 

 

 
Achyranthes aspera Niuean: lamoa fisi, talamoa fisi; English: chaff-flower, devil's horsewhip; Other: piripiri (Cook Islands); kōpū varu (Cook Islands (‘Atiu, Ma‘uke)); tumu ‘enua (Cook Islands (Mangaia)); aerofai (French Polynesia (Tahiti)); lautafifi (Samoa); tamatama (Samoa, Tonga) Amaranthaceae herb

X

X

X

 

X
Aleurites moluccana Niuean: tuitui; English: candlenut, Indian walnut; Other: raguar (Caroline Islands); lama (American Samoa and Samoa); kukui (Hawai’i); tuitui (Cook Islands, Tonga), 'ama (Marquesas); tahii tiairi, ti’a’iri, tutui, tahiri (French Polynesia) Euphorbiaceae tree

X

 

X

X

X
Cardiospermum halicacabum English: balloon vine, heart pea, love-in-a-puff; Other: vinivinio (French Polynesia), poniu, haleakai‘a, ‘inalua, pohuehue uka (Hawai'i) Sapindaceae vine

X

X

 

 

X
Chrysopogon aciculatus Niuean: mosie fisi; English: Mackie's pest, lovegrass, seed grass, golden beardgrass; Other: matie ‘enua, mauku ko‘eko‘e (Cook Islands); tuakura (Cook Islands (Ngaputoru)); papapa (French Polynesia); manienie ‘ula, pi‘ipi‘i, pilipili ‘ula (Hawai‘i); mutia tai, mutia vao (Samoa); matapekepeke, matapekapeka matapekepeka (Tonga) Poaceae grass

X

X

X

X

X
Coix lacryma-jobi Niuean: tangatanga; English: adlay, Job's-tears; Other: poepoe (Cook Islands, French Polynesia (Tahiti)), pū‘ohe‘ohe, kūkaekōlea, ‘ohe‘ohe, pūpū kōlea (Hawai‘i); sanasana, sagasaga (Samoa); hana (Tonga) Poaceae grass

X

X

 

 

 
Commelina diffusa English: commelina, dayflower, wandering Jew; Other: mau‘u toga, mau‘u Tonga (American Samoa and Samoa); mauku-vai, mauku ‘oro‘enua, mauku puakatoro (Cook Islands); ma‘apape (French Polynesia); honohono, honohono wai, mākolokolo (Hawai‘i); mohuku vai, musie matala pulu (Tonga) Commelinaceae herb

X

X

 

 

X
Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum English: long-leaf cyrtococcum grass Poaceae grass

X

X

 

 

 
Desmodium heterocarpon   Fabaceae herb

X

X

 

 

 
Dioscorea bulbifera Niuean: hoi; English: aerial yam; Other: hoi (Hawai‘i, Tonga); pi‘oi (Hawai‘i (Kaua‘i)), soi (Samoa, Wallis and Futuna) Dioscoreaceae vine

X

X

X

 

X
Eleusine indica Niuean: mosie fahitalo, mosie fuhitalo, mosie fuhitalotalo; English: goosegrass, wiregrass; Other: fahitalo, lau ta‘a ta‘a, ta‘a ta‘a (American Samoa and Samoa); mauku mārōki‘aki‘a (Cook Islands); tamamau (French Polynesia), takataka ‘a leala, mohuku siamane (Tonga) Poaceae grass

X

X

X

X

X
Fleurya interrupta Niuean: ongoongo; Other: hongohongo (Tonga); (Samoa); ogoogo (Samoa); mangeo (Wallis and Futuna) Urticaceae herb

X[1975]

X

 

 

 
Ipomoea violacea Niuean: fue tea; English: moon flower, Hawaiian moonflorwer Convolvulaceae vine

X

 

X

X

X
Kyllinga nemoralis English: white kyllinga; Other: neke ‘enua (Cook Islands (Ma‘uke, Ngaputoru?)); kili‘o‘opu, mau‘u mokae (Hawai‘i), ta‘a ta‘a, ta‘a ta‘a vili taliga, matie upo‘o, matie Tahiti, mo‘u upo‘onui, mo‘u upo‘o, tuise (Samoa); pakopako, pakopako ‘ae kuma (Tahiti); tuise (Tonga) Cyperaceae sedge

X

X

 

 

X
Luffa aegyptiaca English: dishrag gourd, loofah, rag gourd, smooth loofah, sponge gourd, vegetable sponge; Other: pō‘ue (Cook Islands); mafai (Tonga) Cucurbitaceae vine

X

X

 

 

X
Merremia peltata Niuean: fue, fue kula, fue vao; English: merremia; Other: fue vae (American Samoa), fue lautetele (American Samoa and Samoa); kūrima (Cook Islands (‘Atiu)); pohue (French Polynesia); fue mea (Tonga) Convolvulaceae vine

X

X

X

X

X
Operculina ventricosa English: paper rose, St. Thomas lidpod; Other: palulu (Samoa); fue hina (Tonga) Convolvulaceae vine

X

X

 

 

X
Oplismenus compositus English: running mountaingrass Poaceae grass

X

X

 

 

 X
Oxalis corniculata Niuean: kihikihi; English: clover sorrel, creeping oxalis, creeping wood-sorrel, creeping yellow oxalis, sour grass, yellow wood sorrel; Other: kēki‘i (Cook Islands: Rarotonga, 'Atiu, Aitutaki, Ma'uke, Miti'aro), kēkī‘i (Cook Islands: Mangaia); ‘ihi ‘ai, ‘ihi ‘awa, ‘ihi maka ‘ula, ‘ihi mākole (Hawai‘i); ‘i‘i (American Samoa, Samoa); kihikihi (Tonga) Oxalidaceae herb

X

X

X

 

X
Physalis angulata Niuean: manini; English: annual ground cherry, bladder cherry (Solomon Islands), wild cape gooseberry (Fiji); Other: tūpera tāmaru-ariki (Cook Islands (Mangaia)); tamanufairi, tamaru ha‘ari (French Polynesia); vivao (Samoa); polopa (Tonga) Solanaceae herb

X

X

X

 

X
Pueraria montana var. lobata Niuean: aka; English: kudzu, Japanese arrowroot; Other: aka (American Samoa, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna); a‘a (American Samoa and Samoa); akataha, fue‘aepuaka (Tonga) Fabaceae vine

X

X

X

X

X
Sida rhombifolia Niuean: mautofu, motofu; English: arrow-leaf sida, Cuban jute, Queensland-hemp, teaweed; Other: purūmu (Cook Islands, French Polynesia (Tahiti)), mautofu (Samoa); te‘ehosi, te‘ehoosi (Tonga) Malvaceae shrub

X

X

X

 

X
Solanum americanum Niuean: polo fua, polo kai; English: American nightshade, black nightshade, glossy nightshade; Other: poroporo (Cook Islands); oupoo (French Polynesia (Marquesas)); pōpolo, ‘olohua, polopolo (Hawai‘i); pōpolohua (Hawai‘i (Ni‘ihau)); magalo, polo (Samoa); polo kai (Tonga) Solanaceae herb

X

X

X

 

X
*Syzygium malaccense Niuean: fekakai; English: Malay-apple, mountain-apple, pomerac, rose-apple; Other: ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai, ‘ōhi‘a, ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai ke‘oke‘o, ‘ōhi‘a hākea, ‘ōhi‘a kea, ‘ōhi‘a leo, ‘ōhi‘a ‘ula (Hawai'i) Myrtaceae tree

X

 

 

 

X
Uraria lagopodioides Niuean: uluhenga?; Other: iku‘ipusi (Tonga) Fabaceae herb

X

X

 

 

 

*Cultivated

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