Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)


Report on invasive plant species in Palau (2008 survey)


Appendix 4, Table 5.  Invasive species of environmental concern present on Peleliu

Scientific Name

Common Names (abridged)

Family

Habit

Abelmoschus moschatus English: fautia, musk mallow, musk okra; Palauan: gongul Malvaceae herb
*Acacia auriculiformis English: Papuan wattle, earleaf acacia, northern black wattle, ear-pod wattle Fabaceae tree
*Agave sp. English: American aloe, century plant Agavaceae succulent
Axonopus compressus English: blanket grass, carpetgrass Poaceae grass
+Bacopa procumbens Scrophulariaceae herb
*Barleria lupulina English: hophead, Philippine violet Acanthaceae shrub
Bothriochloa bladhii English: plains bluegrass, Australian bluestem, Caucasian bluestem; Palaluan: desum Poaceae grass
Bryophyllum pinnatum English: life plant, air plant, resurrection plant, Canterbury bells, cathedral bells, Mexican love plant Crassulaceae succulent
*Calotropis gigantea English: calotrope, crown flower, madar Ascelepiadaceae shrub
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
Chloris barbata English: swollen fingergrass Poaceae grass
Chromolaena odorata English: chromolaena; Palauan: kesengesil, ngesngesil Asteraceae shrub
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
Clerodendrum quadriloculare English: bronze-leaved clerodendrum; Palauan: kleuang Lamiaceae shrub
*Crotalaria retusa English: devil-bean, wedge-leaf crotalaria, wedge-leaf rattlepod Fabaceae herb
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 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
*Datura metel English: datura, downy thorn-apple, Hindu datura, hoary thorn-apple, jimson-weed Solanaceae herb
Dentella repens English: dentella Rubiaceae herb
*Dieffenbachia seguine English: dieffenbachia, dumb cane Araceae herb
Digitaria ciliaris English: Henry's crabgrass, smooth crabgrass, tropical crab grass, large crab grass, southern crabgrass, fingergrass, summer grass Poaceae grass
*Duranta erecta English: duranta, golden dewdrop, pigeon-berry, sky-flower Verbenaceae shrub
Eleusine indica English: goosegrass, wiregrass, goose foot, crow's foot, bullgrass; Palauan: deskim, kelelamalk, keteketarmalk Poaceae grass
Erigeron bellioides English: bellorita, fleabane daisy Asteraceae herb
*Hamelia patens English: redhead, scarletbush Rubiaceae herb
Imperata conferta English: plume grass Poaceae grass
Ipomoea aquatica English: aquatic morning glory, swamp cabbage, water spinach, ung-choi, kang kong; Palauan: kangkum, kangum, kankum Convolvulaceae aquatic herb
Ipomoea triloba English: Aiea morning-glory, little bell; Palauan: orech, torech Convolvulaceae vine
Lantana camara English: lantana Verbenaceae shrub
Leucaena leucocephala English: leucaena, wild tamarind, lead tree; Palauan: telengtungd, telentund Fabaceae tree
Mikania micrantha English: mile-a-minute weed, Chinese creeper, American rope, bittervine; Palauan: teb el yas Asteraceae vine
Muntingia calabura English: jam tree, strawberry tree, Jamaican cherry, Singapore cherry, Panama cherry, Panama berry, ornamental cherry, calabura, sirsen; Palauan: budo Tiliaceae tree
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 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
Pennisetum polystachion English: mission grass, feathery pennisetum; Palauan: desum Poaceae grass
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
Pluchea carolinensis English: sour bush Asteraceae shrub
Pseuderanthemum carruthersii English: false eranthemum Acanthaceae shrub
Psidium guajava English: guava; Palauan: guabang, kuabang Myrtaceae tree
Ricinus communis English: castor bean, castor-oil plant; Palauan: gelug, uluchula skoki Euphorbiaceae shrub
*Samanea saman English: monkeypod, rain tree, saman Fabaceae tree
*Sansevieria trifasciata English: bowstring hemp, mother-in-law’s tongue; Palauan: kitelel Agavaceae herb
*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
Sphagneticola trilobata English: wedelia, trailing daisy, Singapore daisy, creeping ox-eye; Palauan: ngesil ra ngebard Asteraceae herb
Stachytarpheta cayennensis English: blue rat's tail, dark-blue snakeweed, false verbena, nettleleaf velvetberry; Palauan: louch beluu Verbenaceae herb
*Syngonium angustatum English: arrowhead plant, goosefoot plant Araceae vine
*Tecoma stans English: yellow bells, yellow-elder, yellow trumpetbush Bignoniaceae small tree
*Thevetia peruviana English: yellow oleander, be-still tree, lucky nut Apocynaceae small tree
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 ulmifolia English: yellow alder, sage rose, West Indian holly, ramgoat dashalong Turneraceae shrub
Xanthosoma sagittifolium English: new cocoyam, tania, yautia; Palauan: bisech ra ruk, eball Araceae herb

*Cultivated
†Reported present by Fosberg et al. (1979)
+Voucher specimen at Beleu National Museum Herbarium


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