Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
Report on invasive plant species in Palau (2008 survey)
Appendix 1. Invasive plant species of Palau
Table 1. Species that are subjects of eradication
programs
Table 2. Major species that are invasive or potentially invasive in Palau
Table 3. Other species of concern that are known to be weedy or invasive
elsewhere and are common, weedy or cultivated in Palau
Table 4. Other invasive plant species seen or reported to be present in Palau,
mostly of low risk or agricultural concern
Table 5. Native species (or Micronesian introductions) that can exhibit
aggressive behavior
Table 1. Species that are subjects of eradication programs
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Family |
Habit |
| Imperata cylindrica | English: blady grass, cogon grass, satintail; Palauan: kasoring | Poaceae | grass |
| **Indigofera hirsuta | English: hairy indigo, rough hairy indigo | Fabaceae | shrub |
| **Ipomoea hederifolia | English: ivy-leaf morning glory, star ipomoea, trompillo | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Mikania micrantha | English: mile-a-minute weed, Chinese creeper, American rope, bittervine; Palauan: teb el yas | Asteraceae | vine |
| **Praxelis clematidea | English: praxelis | Asteraceae | herb |
| **Schefflera actinophylla | English: octopus tree, umbrella tree, ivy palm | Araliaceae | tree |
| *Spathodea campanulata | English: African tulip tree, fireball, fountain tree; Palauan: orsachel kui | Bignoniaceae | tree |
*Cultivated
**Eradicated
Table 2. Major species that are invasive or potentially invasive in Palau
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Family |
Habit |
| *Acacia farnesiana | English: Ellington curse, klu, sweet acacia | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Adenanthera pavonina | English: coral bean tree, red sandalwood tree, red bead tree; Palauan: telengtúngd, telentundalel | Fabaceae | tree |
| Allamanda cathartica | English: yellow trumpet vine, golden trumpet, golden allamanda, golden cup | Apocynaceae | vine |
| Alternanthera brasiliana | English: Brazilian joyweed, Joseph’s coat | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Antigonon leptopus | English: Mexican creeper, hearts on a chain, coral vine; Palauan: dilngau | Polygonaceae | vine |
| Arundo donax | English: giant reed, Spanish reed, wild cane | Poaceae | grass |
| *Asparagus densiflorus | English: asparagus fern, sprengeri fern, smilax, regal fern | Liliaceae | herb |
| Calamus spp. | English: rattan; Palauan: bangerenguis ra ngebard | Arecaceae | vine |
| Chromolaena odorata | English: chromolaena; Palauan: kesengesil, ngesngesil | Asteraceae | shrub |
| †† Cinnamomum verum | English: cinnamon tree; Palauan: ochod ra ngebard | Lauraceae | tree |
| Clerodendrum quadriloculare | English: bronze-leaved clerodendrum; Palauan: kleuang | Lamiaceae | shrub |
| Clidemia hirta | English: Koster’s curse, soap bush; Palauan: kúi, kui | Melastomataceae | shrub |
| *Cyperus involucratus | English: umbrella sedge, umbrella plant, dwarf papyrus grass; Palauan: deus | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| *Datura metel | English: datura, downy thorn-apple, Hindu datura, hoary thorn-apple, jimson-weed | Solanaceae | herb |
| Dieffenbachia seguine | English: dieffenbachia, dumb cane | Araceae | herb |
| Dissotis rotundifolia | English: dissotis, Spanish shawl, pink lady | Melastomataceae | herb |
| *Eichhornia crassipes | English: water hyacinth; Palauan: bung el ralm | Pontederiaceae | aquatic herb |
| ††Elaeocarpus angustifolius | English: blue fig, blue marble tree, quandong (Australia) | Elaeocarpaceae | tree |
| Epipremnum pinnatum cv. 'Aureum' | English: pothos, money plant | Araceae | vine |
| *¤Eugenia uniflora | English: Surinam cherry, red Brazil cherry | Myrtaceae | shrub/ tree |
| Falcataria moluccana | English: Molucca albizia; Palauan: ukall ra ngebard | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Flemingia macrophylla | Fabaceae | tree | |
| Hedychium coronarium | English: white ginger, butterfly lily, ginger lily, garland flower | Zingiberaceae | herb |
| *#Hevea brasiliensis | English: hevea, Brazilian rubber tree, Para rubber tree | Euphorbiaceae | tree |
| Hyptis pectinata | English: comb hyptis, comb bushmint, mint weed, purple top | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Ipomoea quamoclit | English: Cupid's flower, cypress vine, cypressvine morning-glory, star of Bethlehem, star-glory, sweet-willy; Palauan: asangao | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Lantana camara | English: lantana | Verbenaceae | shrub |
| Leucaena leucocephala | English: leucaena, wild tamarind, lead tree; Palauan: telengtungd, telentund | Fabaceae | tree |
| Melaleuca quinquenervia | English: melaleuca, cajeput, paper bark tree, punk tree | Myrtaceae | tree |
| Melia azedarach | English: Chinaberry, pride-of-India, indian lilac, Persian lilac, margosa tree, tira | Meliaceae | tree |
| Melinis minutiflora | English: melinis, molasses grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Mimosa diplotricha | English: giant sensitive plant, nila grass; Palauan: mechiuaiu | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Mimosa pudica | English: sensitive grass, sensitive plant, shameplant, sleeping grass, touch-me-not; Palauan: mechiuaiu | Fabaceae | herb |
| Panicum maximum | English: Guinea grass, green panic, buffalograss | Poaceae | grass |
| Pennisetum polystachion | English: mission grass, feathery pennisetum; Palauan: desum | Poaceae | grass |
| *Pennisetum setaceum | English: fountain grass | Poaceae | grass |
| *Pereskia aculeata | English: Barbados gooseberry, leafy cactus, lemon vine, pereskia creeper, primitive cactus, Spanish gooseberry | Cactaceae | shrub |
| *Pistia stratiotes | English: water lettuce, tropical duckweed | Araceae | aquatic herb |
| Pithecellobium dulce | English: Madras thorn, Manila tamarind, sweet inga; Palauan: kamatsíri, kamatsiri | Fabaceae | tree |
| Pluchea carolinensis | English: sour bush | Asteraceae | shrub |
| †Psidium cattleianum | English: strawberry guava, cherry guava, Cattley guava, Chinese guava | Myrtaceae | tree |
| Psidium guajava | English: guava; Palauan: guabang, kuabang | Myrtaceae | tree |
| Solanum torvum | English: prickly solanum, devil's fig, turkeyberry, terongan | Solanaceae | shrub |
| Sphagneticola trilobata | English: wedelia, trailing daisy, Singapore daisy, creeping ox-eye; Palauan: ngesil ra ngebard | Asteraceae | herb |
| Syngonium angustatum | English: arrowhead plant, goosefoot plant | Araceae | vine |
| *†Syzygium cumini | English: Java plum; jambolan plum; Palauan: mesegerak, mesekerrák, mesekerrak, mesigerak | Myrtaceae | tree |
| Tecoma stans | English: yellow bells, yellow-elder, yellow trumpetbush | Bignoniaceae | small tree |
| Tephrosia candida | English: white tephrosia, white hoary-pea | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Thunbergia grandiflora | English: Bengal trumpet, blue trumpet vine, clock vine, skyvine, large-flowerd thunbergia; Palauan: bung el etiu | Acanthaceae | vine |
| Timonius timon | English: liberal (Palau) | Rubiaceae | tree |
| Tradescantia spathacea | English: oyster plant, boat plant, boat lily, moses in a boat; Palauan: kobesos | Commelinaceae | herb |
| Tradescantia zebrina | English: wandering zebrina, wandering jew, inchplant | Commelinaceae | herb |
| *Turnera subulata | English: white alder | Turneraceae | shrub |
| Turnera ulmifolia | English: yellow alder, sage rose, West Indian holly, ramgoat dashalong | Turneraceae | shrub |
| †Vitex parviflora | English: small-leaved vitex, smallflower chastetree | Verbenaceae | shrub/ tree |
*Cultivated
†Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979)
††Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979), no location given
#Voucher specimen at Bishop Museum Herbarium
¤Reported present by Miles (pers. com.)
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Family |
Habit |
| Abelmoschus moschatus | English: fautia, musk mallow, musk okra; Palauan: gongul | Malvaceae | herb |
| †+Abrus precatorius | English: bead vine, coral bead plant, precatory, precatory bean, red beadvine, rosary pea | Fabaceae | vine |
| Acacia auriculiformis | English: Papuan wattle, earleaf acacia, northern black wattle, ear-pod wattle | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Acacia confusa | English: Formosa koa, Formosa acacia; Palauan: ianángi, yanangi | Fabaceae | tree |
| Acacia mangium | English: mangium, brown salwood, black wattle, hickory wattle | Fabaceae | tree |
| Aeschynomene americana | English: American joint vetch, joint vetch, shyleaf | Fabaceae | herb |
| *Agave sp. | English: American aloe, century plant | Agavaceae | succulent |
| Agave sisalana | English: sisal, sisal hemp | Agavaceae | succulent |
| *Albizia lebbeck | English: siris-tree, rain tree, East Indian walnut; Palauan: ukall ra ngebard | Fabaceae | tree |
| †Alocasia cucullata | English: Chinese ape, Chinese taro | Araceae | herb |
| Alpinia purpurata | English: red ginger | Zingiberaceae | herb |
| Amaranthus dubius | English: amaranth, spleen amaranth | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Amaranthus spinosus | English: edlebur, needle burr, spiny amaranth, thorny pigweed | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Angelonia angustifolia | English: angelonia, narrowleaf angelon | Scrophulariaceae | herb |
| Argemone mexicana | English: Mexican prickly-poppy, Mexican poppy, yellow thistle | Papaveraceae | herb |
| *Asystasia gangetica subsp. gangetica | English: Chinese violet, Philippine violet, coromandel | Acanthaceae | herb |
| Axonopus compressus | English: blanket grass, carpetgrass | Poaceae | grass |
| ‡Bacopa procumbens | Scrophulariaceae | herb | |
| *Barleria cristata | English: crested Philippine violet, Philippine violet | Acanthaceae | shrub |
| Barleria lupulina | English: hophead, Philippine violet | Acanthaceae | shrub |
| *Bauhinia acuminata | English: dwarf white bauhinia | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Bauhinia monandra | English: orchid-tree, St. Thomas-tree, Napoleon's plume | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Bauhinia purpurea | English: purple orchid tree; purple butterfly tree | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Bauhinia variegata | English: orchid tree; mountain ebony | Fabaceae | tree |
| Bothriochloa bladhii | English: plains bluegrass, Australian bluestem, Caucasian bluestem; Palaluan: desum | Poaceae | grass |
| *Bryophyllum delagoense | English: chandelier plant | Crassulaceae | succulent |
| Bryophyllum pinnatum | English: life plant, air plant, resurrection plant, Canterbury bells, cathedral bells, Mexican love plant | Crassulaceae | succulent |
| Calopogonium mucunoides | English: calopo | Fabaceae | vine |
| *Calotropis gigantea | English: calotrope, crown flower, madar | Ascelepiadaceae | shrub |
| Canna indica | English: canna, canna lily, Indian shot | Cannaceae | herb |
| †Canna x generalis | English: canna lily, common garden canna | Cannaceae | herb |
| †Caryota mitis | English: Burmese fishtail palm, clustered fishtail palm, tufted fishtail palm | Arecaceae | tree |
| *Ceiba pentandra | English: kapok tree, silk-cotton tree, pacae; Palauan: kalngebárd, kalngebard, kerrekar ngebard | Bombacaceae | tree |
| Cenchrus brownii | English: burgrass, burr grass, sand-bur, slimbristle sandbur | Poaceae | grass |
| Cenchrus echinatus | English: burgrass, sand-bur, southern sandbur, Mossman River grass (Australia) | Poaceae | grass |
| Centrosema pubescens | English: centro, butterfly-pea | Fabaceae | vine |
| Chamaecrista mimosoides | English: Japanese tea; Palauan: ukellela chedip | Fabaceae | herb |
| Chamaecrista nictitans | English: partridge pea, Japanese tea senna | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Chloris barbata | English: swollen fingergrass | Poaceae | grass |
| Chloris radiata | English: plush-grass, radiate fingergrass | Poaceae | grass |
| Chloris virgata | English: feather finger grass, feathered chloris, feathertop Rhodes grass, feathery Rhodes grass, oldland grass, sweet grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Clerodendrum buchananii var. fallax | English: red clerodendrum, pagoda-flower; Palauan: but a cherechar, butcherechár, butecherechar | Lamiaceae | shrub |
| Clerodendrum paniculatum | English: pagoda plant, pagoda flower; Palauan: butcherechár, butecherechar | Lamiaceae | shrub |
| Clitoria ternatea | English: butterfly pea, Asian pigeonwings; Palauan: kles | Fabaceae | vine |
| *Costus woodsonii | English: Indian-head ginger, red cane; Hawaiian: ‘awapuhi ‘inikini po‘o | Costaceae | herb |
| †Crinum asiaticum | English: Asiatic poisonbulb, crinum, false spider lily, giant crinum lily, grand crinum, poisonbulb, spider lily; Palauan: bisecherad ra ngebard | Liliaceae | herb |
| Crotalaria micans | English: crotalaria | Fabaceae | shrub |
| *Crotalaria retusa | English: devil-bean, wedge-leaf crotalaria, wedge-leaf rattlepod | Fabaceae | herb |
| Crotalaria spectabilis | English: rattlebox, showy crotalaria, showy rattlebox, showy rattlepod; Palauan: kuroteraria | Fabaceae | herb |
| Crotalaria trichotoma | English: curara-pea | Fabaceae | herb |
| *Cryptostegia madagascariensis | English: Madagascar rubbervine | Ascelepiadaceae | vine |
| Cynodon dactylon | English: Bermuda grass, giant Bermuda grass, bahama grass, devil's grass, couch grass, Indian doab, grama, devilgrass, couchgrass, balama grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Cyperus compressus | English: flat sedge | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| †Cyperus difformis | English: dirty-Dora, one-arm sedge, rice sedge, small-flower umbrella-plant, variable flat sedge | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| †Cyperus distans | English: slender cyperus | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Cyperus rotundus | English: nut grass, nutsedge, purple nutsedge, cocograss; Palauan tamanengi | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Dactyloctenium aegyptium | English: beach wiregrass, button grass, coast button grass, comb fringe grass, crowfoot grass, duck grass, finger comb grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Dentella repens | English: dentella | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Derris elliptica | English: derris; Palauan: deris, dub | Fabaceae | vine |
| Desmanthus pernambucanus | English: pigeon bundleflower | Fabaceae | herb |
| #+Desmanthus virgatus | English: slender mimosa, virgate mimosa | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Desmodium tortuosum | English: Florida beggarweed, Spanish clover, dixie ticktrefoil | Fabaceae | herb |
| Digitaria ciliaris | English: Henry's crabgrass, smooth crabgrass, tropical crab grass, large crab grass, southern crabgrass, fingergrass, summer grass | Poaceae | grass |
| †#Digitaria violascens | English: smooth crabgrass, violet crabgrass; Palauan: sau | Poaceae | grass |
| *Duranta erecta | English: duranta, golden dewdrop, pigeon-berry, sky-flower | Verbenaceae | shrub |
| Echinochloa colona | English: awnless barnyard grass (Australia), corn panic grass, Deccan grass, jungle ricegrass, jungle rice, millet-rice, shama millet; Palauan: uaum | Poaceae | grass |
| †Echinochloa crus-galli | English: barnyard grass, cockspur grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Elaeis guineensis | English: African oil palm | Arecaceae | tree |
| Eleusine indica | English: goosegrass, wiregrass, goose foot, crow's foot, bullgrass; Palauan: deskim, kelelamalk, keteketarmalk | Poaceae | grass |
| *Episcia reptans | Gesneriaceae | herb | |
| Eragrostis atrovirens | English: thalia love grass, wiry lovegrass; Palauan: ouemoket | Poaceae | grass |
| †Eragrostis ciliaris | English: gophertail grass, gophertail lovegrass, lovegrass, woolly love grass; Palauan: ouemoket | Poaceae | grass |
| †+Eragrostis pilosa | English: hairy love grass, Indian love grass, soft lovegrass | Poaceae | grass |
| Erigeron bellioides | English: bellorita, fleabane daisy | Asteraceae | herb |
| †Eustachys petraea | English: pinewoods fingergrass | Poaceae | grass |
| *Ficus benjamina | English: weeping fig, baka, Java fig, weeping fig, Benjamin tree | Moraceae | tree |
| Flemingia strobilifera | English: luck plant, wild hops; Palauan: besungelaiei, pesungel a iei | Fabaceae | shrub |
| *Gliricidia sepium | English: mother of cacao, quickstick, Mexican lilac; Palauanr: rechesengel | Fabaceae | tree |
| #Gmelina asiatica | English: badhara bush, Asiatic beechberry, oval-leafed gmelina; Palauan: kalngebang? | Lamiaceae | shrub |
| *Hamelia patens | English: redhead, scarletbush | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Hemigraphis alternata | English: metal leaf; red ivy, cemetery plant (Fiji) | Acanthaceae | herb |
| Hyptis capitata | English: knobweed | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Imperata conferta | English: plume grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Inga edulis | English: ice cream bean | Fabaceae | tree |
| Ipomoea aquatica | English: aquatic morning glory, swamp cabbage, water spinach, ung-choi, kang kong; Palauan: kangkum, kangum, kankum | Convolvulaceae | aquatic herb |
| *Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa | English: bush morning glory, tree ipomoea | Convolvulaceae | shrub |
| Ipomoea triloba | English: Aiea morning-glory, little bell; Palauan: orech, torech | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| *Jatropha curcas | English: physic nut, purging nut, Barbados nut | Euphorbiaceae | shrub |
| †Jatropha gossypiifolia | English: bellyache bush, cotton-leaved physic nut | Euphorbiaceae | shrub |
| Kyllinga brevifolia | English: green kyllinga, green water sedge; Palauan: deus, esechesiding | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| †Leonurus japonicus | English: lion’s tail, Chinese motherwort | Lamiaceae | herb |
| *Livistonia chinensis | English: Chinese fan palm, Chinese fountain palm, fountain palm | Arecaceae | tree |
| Macroptilium atropurpureum | English: siratro, purple bushbean | Fabaceae | vine |
| Macroptilium lathyroides | English: cow pea, phasey bean, wild bean | Fabaceae | herb |
| Merremia hederacea | English: ivy woodrose | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Muntingia calabura | English: jam tree, strawberry tree, Jamaican cherry, Singapore cherry, Panama cherry, Panama berry, ornamental cherry, calabura, sirsen; Palauan: budo | Tiliaceae | tree |
| *Murraya paniculata | English: orange jessamine, satin-wood, Chinese box, Hawaiian mock orange | Rutaceae | shrub/ tree |
| *Nymphaea spp. | English: water lily | Nymphaeaceae | aquatic herb |
| *Ocimum gratissimum | English: wild basil, clove basil, tree basil | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Panicum repens | English: torpedo grass, couch panicum, creeping panic | Poaceae | grass |
| Paspalum conjugatum | English: T grass, ti grass, sour grass; sour palpalum, buffalo grass, carabao grass, Hilo grass (Hawai'i); Palauan: udel ra ngebel | Poaceae | grass |
| Paspalum paniculatum | English: Russell river grass, galmarra grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Paspalum scrobiculatum | English: rice grass; creeping paspalum, ditch millet, Indian paspalum, kodo millet, water couch; Palauan: desum | Poaceae | grass |
| Passiflora foetida | English: love-in-a-mist, wild passion fruit, passionflower, stinking passionflower; Palauan: kudamono | Passifloraceae | vine |
| Passiflora suberosa | English: wild passionfruit, devil's pumpkin, indigo berry, corky passionflower, corkstem passionflower | Passifloraceae | vine |
| Pennisetum purpureum | English: elephant grass, napier grass, merker grass; Palauan: bokso | Poaceae | grass |
| Pilea microphylla | English: artillery plant, gunpowder plant, pistol plant, rockweed | Urticaceae | herb |
| Pseuderanthemum carruthersii | English: false eranthemum | Acanthaceae | shrub |
| *Quisqualis indica | English: Rangoon creeper | Combretaceae | vine |
| Ricinus communis | English: castor bean, castor-oil plant; Palauan: gelug, uluchula skoki | Euphorbiaceae | shrub |
| *Samanea saman | English: monkeypod, rain tree, saman | Fabaceae | tree |
| †Sambucus mexicana | English: elderberry, Mexican elder | Caprifoliaceae | small tree |
| *Sanchezia parvibracteata | English: sanchezia | Acanthaceae | shrub |
| Sansevieria trifasciata | English: bowstring hemp, mother-in-law’s tongue; Palauan: kitelel | Agavaceae | herb |
| *Schefflera arboricola | English: dwarf brassia, dwarf schefflera, Hawaiian elf schefflera | Araliaceae | shrub |
| Senna alata | English: candle bush; candelabra bush, Roman candle tree, emperor's candlesticks, alcapulco; Palauan: kerula besokel, yult | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Senna obtusifolia | English: habucha, coffeeweed, sicklepod | Fabaceae | herb |
| Senna occidentalis | English: antbush, coffee senna; Palauan: korriu, kurriu | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Senna siamea | English: cassod tree, kassod tree, Siamese cassia, pheasantwood, Thailand shower | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Senna surattensis | English: scrambled eggs | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Sesbania grandiflora | English: sesbania, hummingbird tree, sesban, scarlet wisteria tree, corkwood tree; Palauan: katurai | Fabaceae | small tree |
| Setaria sphacelata | English: African bristle grass, golden timothy | Poaceae | grass |
| †Sorghum bicolor | English: Sudan grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Sorghum halepense | English: Johnson grass, Aleppo grass, Aleppo milletgrass | Poaceae | grass |
| †Sporobolus diander | English: Indian dropseed, tussock dropseed | Poaceae | grass |
| Stachytarpheta cayennensis | English: blue rat's tail, dark-blue snakeweed, false verbena, nettleleaf velvetberry; Palauan: louch beluu | Verbenaceae | herb |
| Stenotaphrum secundatum | English: buffalo grass, St. Augustine grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Striga asiatica | English: witchweed | Scrophulariaceae | herb |
| Stylosanthes guianensis | English: stylo, Brazilian lucerne, tropical lucerne, Nigerian stylo | Fabaceae | herb |
| *Thevetia peruviana | English: yellow oleander, be-still tree, lucky nut | Apocynaceae | small tree |
| *Tithonia diversifolia | English: tree marigold, shrub sunflower, Mexican sunflower, Japanese sunflower | Asteraceae | shrub |
| †Triumfetta rhomboidea | English: Chinese burr, paroquet burr, burr bush | Tiliaceae | shrub |
| Urochloa mutica | English: California grass, para grass, buffalo grass, Mauritius grass, signal grass | Poaceae | grass |
| †Urochloa reptans | English: creeping panic grass, running grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Urochloa subquadripara | English: brachiaria, green summer grass, tropical signalgrass, cori grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Xanthosoma sagittifolium | English: new cocoyam, tania, yautia; Palauan: bisech ra ruk, eball | Araceae | herb |
| Xenostegia tridentata | English: African morningvine; Palauan: kebeas | Convolvulaceae | herb |
| Youngia japonica | English: oriental hawksbeard | Asteraceae | herb |
*Cultivated
†Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979)
‡Reported present by Raulerson et al. (1996)
#Voucher specimen at Bishop Museum Herbarium
+Voucher specimen at Beleu National Museum Herbarium
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Family |
Habit |
| Acalypha indica | English: copperleaf, Indian-nettle, ricinela | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Acalypha lanceolata | Euphorbiaceae | herb | |
| Ageratum conyzoides | English: chick weed, goatweed, whiteweed; Palauan: ngmak | Asteraceae | herb |
| Alocasia macrorrhizos | English: ape, cunjevoi, elephant's ear, giant alocasia, giant taro, pai | Araceae | herb |
| Alysicarpus bupleurifolius | English: sweet alys | Fabaceae | herb |
| Alysicarpus vaginalis | English: alyce-clover, buffalo-clover, one-leaf-clover | Fabaceae | herb |
| Amaranthus viridis | English: green amaranth, pigweed, slender amaranth | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Ammannia baccifera | English: amania, monarch redstem | Lythraceae | herb |
| Aniseia martinicensis | English: whitejacket | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| *Annona glabra | English: pond apple, alligator apple, bullock's heart, cherimoyer | Annonaceae | tree |
| *Annona muricata | English: soursop, prickly custard apple; Palauan: sausab | Annonaceae | tree |
| Annona reticulata | English: bullock's-heart, custard-apple; Palauan: ngel ra ngebard | Annonaceae | tree |
| +Annona squamosa | English: custard apple, sugar apple, sweetsop; Palauan: ngel ra ngebard | Annonaceae | tree |
| Asclepias curassavica | English: bloodflower milkweed, butterfly weed, milkweed | Asclepiadaceae | herb |
| Averrhoa bilimbi | English: bilimbi, cucumber tree, tree sorrel; Palauan: imekure, imekurs, oterebekii | Oxalidaceae | tree |
| Bambusa spp. | English: bamboo; Palauan: bambuu, esel | Poaceae | tree |
| *Basella alba | English: Ceylon spinach, Indian spinach, Malabar nightshade | Basellaceae | herb |
| Begonia × semperflorens-cultorum | English: bedding begonia, perpetual begonia, wax begonia | Begoniaceae | herb |
| Bidens alba | English: beggar’s tick, Spanish needle, cobbler's pegs, romerillo | Asteraceae | herb |
| Bidens pilosa | English: beggar’s tick, Spanish needle, cobbler's pegs | Asteraceae | herb |
| *Bixa orellana | English: anatto, lipstick tree; Palauan: búrek, burk | Bixaceae | shrub |
| Blechum pyramidatum | English: green shrimp plant, Browne’s blechum | Acanthaceae | herb |
| *Breynia disticha | English: snowbush, sweetpea bush, foliage-flower | Euphorbiaceae | shrub |
| Brucea javanica | English: Java brucea, Macassar kerneltree | Simaroubaceae | shrub/tree |
| Buchnera americana | English: American bluehearts, bupleurum | Orobanchaceae | herb |
| Caesalpinia pulcherrima | English: Barbados flower-fence, dwarf poinciana, pride of Barbados | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Caladium bicolor | English: caladium, elephant's-ear, heart-of-Jesus | Araceae | herb |
| *Calathea majestica | Marantaceae | herb | |
| *Calliandra calothyrsus | English: powderpuff red calliandra | Fabaceae | shrub |
| *Calliandra haematocephala | English: red powder puff | Fabaceae | shrub |
| *Calliandra surinamensis | English: Surinamese stickpea | Fabaceae | tree |
| *Callisia fragrans | English: fragrant inch plant, basketplant, spironema | Commelinaceae | herb |
| *Cananga odorata | English: perfume tree; Palauan: chiráng, ilang-ilang, irang | Annonaceae | tree |
| †‡Capsicum frutescens | English: bird pepper, bird's-eye chili, bird's-eye pepper, hot pepper, red chili, spur pepper, Tabasco pepper; Palauan: meringel | Solanaceae | herb |
| *Catharanthus roseus | English: Cape periwinkle, old-maid, rose periwinkle | Apocynaceae | herb |
| Celosia argentea | English: cockscomb; Palauan: chesechil a malk, esechila malk | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| *Centratherum punctatum | English: Brazilian button flower, centratherum, lark daisy | Asteraceae | herb |
| Chamaesyce hirta | English: asthma plant, garden spurge, pill-bearing spurge, hairy spurge; Palauan: udall | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Chamaesyce hypericifolia | English: beach spurge, graceful spurge; Palauan: karkar, kerkar | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Chamaesyce prostrata | English: creeping splurge, prostrate spurge, red caustic creeper | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Chamaesyce thymifolia | English: red caustic creeper, thyme-leafed spurge | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| †Citrus aurantiifolia | English: Key lime, lime, Mexican lime, sour lime, West Indian lime; Palauan: malchianged | Rutaceae | tree |
| Cleome gynandra | English: African spider-flower, bastard-mustard, cat's-whiskers, spider wisp, wild spider flower | Capparaceae | herb |
| Cleome viscosa | English: tickweed, spider flower | Capparaceae | herb |
| *Coffea arabica | English: coffee; Palauan: kohi | Rubiaceae | tree |
| *Coffea liberica | English: Liberian coffee | Rubiaceae | tree |
| †Coix lacryma-jobi | English: adlay, adlay millet, Job's-tears; Palauan: demairuuch, tauiir | Poaceae | grass |
| Commelina diffusa | English: commelina, dayflower, wandering Jew, spiderwort | Commelinaceae | herb |
| Conyza bonariensis | English: flax-leaf fleabane, hairy fleabane, hairy horseweed, wavy-leaf fleabane | Asteraceae | herb |
| Conyza canadensis | English: butterweed, Canadian horseweed, Canadian fleabane, hogweed, horseweed | Asteraceae | herb |
| †Corchorus aestuans | Tiliaceae | herb | |
| †Coreopsis lanceolata | English: garden coreopsis, lanceleaf tickseed, tickseed | Asteraceae | herb |
| Cosmos sp. | English: cosmos | Asteraceae | herb |
| Crassocephalum crepidioides | English: thickhead, fireweed, redflower ragleaf | Asteraceae | herb |
| Crotalaria incana | English: fuzzy rattlepod, woolly rattlepod; Palauan: kuroteraria | Fabaceae | shrub |
| †Crotalaria pallida | English: salts rattlebox, smooth crotalaria, smooth rattlebox, smooth rattlepod, streaked rattlepod, striped crotalaria | Fabaceae | shrub |
| *Delonix regia | English: flame tree, flamboyant, poinciana; Palauan: nangiosákura, nangyo | Fabaceae | tree |
| †Desmodium gangeticum | Fabaceae | herb | |
| Desmodium heterophyllum | English: hetero, Spanish clover | Fabaceae | herb |
| Desmodium incanum | English: kaimi clover, Spanish clover | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Desmodium triflorum | English: creeping tick trefoil, three-flower beggarweed, tropical trefoil; Palauan: olmud, olumúd, olumud | Fabaceae | herb |
| +Dichanthium annulatum | English: Angleton grass, bluestem, Diaz bluestem, Hindi grass, Kleberg bluestem, marvel grass, sheda grass | Poaceae | grass |
| †Digitaria bicornis | English: southern crabgrass | Poaceae | grass |
| Dioscorea bulbifera | English: aerial yam, air-potato, bitter yam, potato yam; Palauan: belloi | Dioscoreaceae | vine |
| Eclipta prostrata | English: eclipta, false daisy, swamp daisy, white eclipta; Palauan: deberebelela tengadidik | Asteraceae | herb |
| Eleocharis dulcis | English: Chinese water-chestnut, ground-chestnut, waternut; Palauan: kerdikes | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Elephantopus mollis | English: elephantopus, elephant’s foot, false tobacco, tobacco weed | Asteraceae | herb |
| Emilia sonchifolia | English: Cupid's shaving-brush, emilia, Flora's paint brush, purple sow thistle, sow thistle | Asteraceae | herb |
| Episcia cupreata | English: episcia, flame violet | Gesneriaceae | herb |
| Erechtites hieraciifolius | English: American burnweed, American fireweed, burnweed, fireweed, Malayan groundsel, pilewort | Asteraceae | herb |
| Euphorbia cyathophora | English: dwarf poinsettia, fire-on-the-mountain, Mexican fire plant, painted spurge, wild poinsettia | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Euphorbia graminea | English: grassleaf spurge | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| †Euphorbia pulcherrima | English: Christmas flower, Mexican flameleaf, painted leaf, poinsettia; Palauan: becheselrak | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| *Ficus elastica | English: India rubber tree, rubber plant; Palauan: komunokí, komunoki | Moraceae | tree |
| Gomphrena globosa | English: bachelor's-button, globe amaranth, pearly everlasting; Palauan: botang | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Gossypium barbadense | English: cotton, sea island cotton | Malvaceae | shrub |
| *Heliconia spp. | English: heliconia, parrot's-flower, parrot's-plantain, crab claw, lobster claw | Heliconiaceae | herb |
| Heliotropium procumbens | English: heliotrope, prostrate heliotrope, slender heliotrope | Boraginaceae | herb |
| Hippobroma longiflora | English: star of Bethlehem, fetia, Palauan: udel ra badrei | Campanulaceae | herb |
| *Impatiens balsamina | English: impatiens, balsam, garden balsam, rose balsam, spotted snapweed, touch-me-not; Palauan: hosengka | Balsaminaceae | herb |
| *Impatiens walleriana | English: garden impatiens, balsam, busy lizzy, bizzy-lizzie, patient lucy; sultan’s flower | Balsaminaceae | herb |
| †+Ipomoea batatas | English: sweet potato; Palauan: emutii | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| †Ixora coccinea | English: flame of the forest, jungle geranium, red ixora | Rubiaceae | shrub |
| *Jacaranda mimosifolia | English: jacaranda | Bignoniaceae | tree |
| Jasminum sambac | English: Arabian jasmine | Oleaceae | vine |
| Lepidium virginicum | English: peppergrass, Virginia pepperweed, wild peppercress | Brassicaceae | herb |
| Leucas lavandulifolia | Lamiaceae | herb | |
| ††Luffa aegyptiaca | English: dishrag gourd, loofah, rag gourd, smooth loofah, sponge gourd, vegetable sponge | Cucurbitaceae | vine |
| Lycopersicon esculentum | English: tomato, wild tomato | Solanaceae | herb |
| §Malva parviflora | English: cheeseweed, Egyptian mallow, small-flower mallow | Malvaceae | herb |
| *Malvaviscus penduliflorus | English: Turk's cap | Malvaceae | shrub |
| Melampodium divaricatum | English: blackfoot, golden button | Asteraceae | herb |
| +Merremia umbellata | English: yellow wood rose | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Mirabilis jalapa | English: beauty of the night, false jalap, four o'clock, marvel of Peru | Nyctaginaceae | herb |
| Mitracarpus hirtus | English: tropical girdlepod | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Momordica charantia | English: balsam-apple, bitter-melon, bitter gourd, balsam pear, squirting cucumber, cerasee, peria; Palauan: markoso | Cucurbitaceae | vine |
| *Moringa oleifera | English: horseradish tree, drumstick tree, ben nut, morango; Palauan: malungkai | Moringaceae | tree |
| Nerium oleander | English: mountain rose, oleander | Apocynaceae | shrub |
| Nicotiana tabacum | English: tobacco; Palauan: dekool, dekoul, derool, tobaco | Solanaceae | herb |
| *#Ochroma pyramidale | English: balsa, corkwood, down tree | Bombacaceae | tree |
| Oldenlandia corymbosa | English: Old World diamondflower | Rubiaceae | herb |
| *Opuntia spp. | English: drooping tree pear, prickly pear | Cactaceae | cactus |
| *Orthosiphon aristatus | English: cat’s whiskers; Palauan: emadecharebub | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Oxalis barrelieri | Oxalidaceae | herb | |
| *Pangium edule | English: football fruit, raual; Palauan: ariaml, riamel | Flacourtiaceae | tree |
| *Passiflora edulis | English: passion fruit, yellow passion fruit, purple passion fruit, qarandila, purple granadilla; Palauan: kudamono | Passifloraceae | vine |
| †Passiflora quadrangularis | English: granadilla, giant granadilla; Palauan: kudamono | Passifloraceae | vine |
| Peperomia pellucida | English: peperomia, pepper elder, silverbush; Palauan: rtertiil | Piperaceae | herb |
| *Persea americana | English: avocado, alligator pear; Palauan: bata | Lauraceae | tree |
| *‡Phaseolus lunatus | English: lima bean, butter bean, Burma bean, haricot bean, Madagascar bean, sieva bean, sugar bean | Fabaceae | herb |
| Phyla nodiflora | English: fogfruit, lippia, phyla | Verbenaceae | herb |
| Phyllanthus amarus | English: six o'clock, sleeping plant; Palauan: ukalla ruchel | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Phyllanthus debilis | Euphorbiaceae | herb | |
| Physalis angulata | English: annual ground cherry; Palauan: bubeubedul | Solanaceae | herb |
| Physalis minima | English: sunberry | Solanaceae | herb |
| +Physalis peruviana | English: Cape gooseberry, goldenberry, gooseberry-tomato, Peruvian ground-cherry, Peruvian-cherry | Solanaceae | shrub |
| Pilea nummulariifolia | English: creeping Charlie | Urticaceae | herb |
| Piriqueta racemosa | English: ridgid stripeseed | Turneraceae | herb |
| Pityrogramma calomelanos | English: Dixie silverback fern, gold fern (var. austroamericana), gold-dust fern (var. austroamericana), silver fern | Pteridaceae | fern |
| *Plectranthus amboinicus | English: Mexican mint, Spanish thyme, Cuban oregano | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Pluchea indica | English: Indian fleabane, Indian pluchea, Indian camphorweed | Asteraceae | shrub |
| Polygala paniculata | English: island snake-root; Palauan: keskus ra mekesong | Polygalaceae | herb |
| †Polypremum procumbens | English: juniper leaf | Loganiaceae | herb |
| Portulaca oleracea | English: pigweed, purslane; Palauan: bungaruau ra sers | Portulacaceae | herb |
| Pteris vittata | English: Chinese brake, Chinese ladder brake, ladder brake | Pteridaceae | fern |
| *‡Pueraria phaseoloides | English: tropical kudzu, puero | Fabaceae | vine |
| *‡§Ravenala madagascariensis | English: traveler’s palm, traveler’s tree, ravenale | Strelitziaceae | tree |
| Ruellia tuberosa | English: large bell-flower (Samoa) | Acanthaceae | herb |
| Russelia equisetiformis | English: coralplant, fountainplant | Scrophulariaceae | shrub |
| Scoparia dulcis | English: scoparia, sweet broom | Scrophulariaceae | herb |
| Sesbania cannabina | English: canicha, dhaincha, dhunchi, sesbania pea | Fabaceae | shrub |
| †Setaria parviflora | English: knotroot bristle grass, knotroot foxtail, perennial foxtail, slender pigeon grass, yellow foxtail | Poaceae | grass |
| Sida acuta | English: broom weed, Paddy’s lucerne, southern sida, spiny-head sida, spiny sida; Palauan: keak | Malvaceae | herb |
| Sida rhombifolia | English: arrow-leaf sida, Cuban jute, Paddy's lucerne, Queensland-hemp, teaweed; Palauan: keak | Malvaceae | shrub |
| Sida spinosa | English: prickly sida, spiny sida | Malvaceae | herb |
| ‡Sigesbeckia orientalis | English: Indian weed, small yellow crown-beard, yellow crown-head | Asteraceae | herb |
| Solanum americanum | English: American nightshade, black nightshade, glossy nightshade | Solanaceae | herb |
| Solanum nigrum | English: black-berry night shade (Australia), black nightshade, poisonberry | Solanaceae | herb |
| *Solenostemon scutellarioides | English: coleus | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Spermacoce exilis | English: Mauritius false buttonweed | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Spermacoce latifolia | English: buttonweed, oval leaf false buttonweed | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Spermacoce ocymoides | English: purple-leaved button weed | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Spermacoce ovalifolia | English: broadleaf false buttonweed | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Spermacoce remota | English: buttonweed; Palauan: okula beluu | Rubiaceae | herb |
| Stachytarpheta jamaicensis | English: bastard vervain, blue porterweed, Brazilian tea, Jamaica vervain, joee, light blue snakeweed; Palauan: louch beluu | Verbenaceae | herb |
| *Stapelia gigantea | English: carrion flower, starfish flower, zulu-giant, giant toad plant | Asclepiadaceae | succulent |
| †Swietenia macrophylla | English: Honduras mahogany, large-leaved mahogany, mahogany | Meliaceae | tree |
| Synedrella nodiflora | English: Cinderella weed (Australia), porter bush, synedrella | Asteraceae | herb |
| *Syzygium jambos | English: malabar plum, rose apple, Malay apple | Myrtaceae | tree |
| †Syzygium malaccense | English: Malay-apple, mountain-apple, Otaheite-apple, pomerac, rose-apple; Palauan: kidel | Myrtaceae | tree |
| Tabebuia heterophylla | English: pink tecoma, pink trumpet tree, white cedar | Bignoniaceae | tree |
| +Tabebuia pallida | English: Cuban pink trumpet tree, white cedar, whitewood | Bignoniaceae | tree |
| †Tagetes erecta | English: African marigold, Aztec marigold, big marigold, French marigold, marigold, saffron marigold | Asteraceae | herb |
| Tridax procumbens | English: coat buttons, tridax daisy | Asteraceae | herb |
| Uraria lagopodioides | Fabaceae | herb | |
| Zornia gibbosa | Fabaceae | herb |
*Cultivated
†Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979)
††Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979), no location given
‡Reported present by Raulerson et al. (1996)
§Reported by Lorence & Flynn (1998)
#Voucher specimen at Bishop Museum Herbarium
+Voucher specimen at Beleu National Museum Herbarium
Table 5. Native species (or Micronesian introductions) that can exhibit aggressive behavior
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Family |
Habit |
| Casuarina equisetifolia | English: casuarina, ironwood, Australian pine, she-oak, horsetail tree, beefwood; Palauan: nas, ngas, ngasu | Casuarinaceae | tree |
| Chrysopogon aciculatus | English: Mackie's pest, lovegrass, golden beardgrass; Palauan: iul | Poaceae | grass |
| Gmelina elliptica | Palauan: a kulb ne par reth, kalngebard ra belau | Lamiaceae | shrub |
| †+Ipomoea violacea | English: moon flower, Hawaiian moonflorwer | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Ischaemum polystachyum | English: paddle grass | Poaceae | grass |
| †Ischaemum rugosum | English: muraina grass, wrinkle duck-beak, saramatta grass | Poaceae | grass |
| †Ischaemum timorense | English: centipede grass, stalkleaf murainagrass, lucuntu grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Kyllinga nemoralis | English: white kyllinga, whitehead spikesedge, whitewater sedge | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Lygodium microphyllum | English: climbing maidenhair fern, Old World climbing fern, small-leaf climbing fern; Palauan: osuchedechui | Schizaeaceae | fern |
| Merremia peltata | English: merremia; Palauan: kebeas | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Operculina turpethum | Palauan: ongucheta rekung | vine | |
| Saccharum spontaneum | English: wild cane, false sugarcane; Palauan: banga ruchel | Poaceae | grass |
| Sacciolepis indica | English: glenwood grass | Poaceae | grass |
| †‡Setaria pumila | English: foxtail, garden bristle grass, hairy-tail grass, yellow bristlegrass | Poaceae | grass |
| Sporobolus indicus | English: smutgrass, wiregrass, Indian dropseed | Poaceae | grass |
| †Urena lobata | English: hibiscus burr, caesarweed, pink Chinese burr, urena burr, bur mallow; Palauan: chosuched e kui, osuched a rechui | Malvaceae | shrub |
†Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979)
‡Reported present by Raulerson et al. (1996)
+Voucher specimen at Beleu National Museum Herbarium
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