Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
Report on invasive plant species in Samoa
Appendix 2. Other invasive plant species, mostly ruderal weeds or of agricultural concern
Table 1.
Species not seen or reported to be present in Samoa
Table 2. Introduced species that are
invasive or potentially invasive in Samoa
Table 1. Species not seen or reported to be present in Samoa
|
Scientific Name |
Common Names |
Family |
Habit |
| English: hairy abutilon | Malvaceae | shrub | |
| English: albutilon, Indian abutilon, Indian mallow; Other: malbas, matbas (Guam-Chamorro) | Malvaceae | shrub | |
| velvetleaf | Malvaceae | herb | |
| Acacia sinuata | English: chikakai, piquant sappan, sappan, soap pod | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Acanthocereus tetragonus | English: barbed-wire cactus, sword-pear, triangle cactus | Cactaceae | succulent |
| Other: mbotembotekoro (Fiji) | Asteraceae | herb | |
| English: budda pea, curly-indigo, hard sola, Indian joint-vetch, kat sola, northern joint-vetch, sensitive jointed vetch, sensitive vetch | Fabaceae | herb | |
| Agave americana | English: American aloe, century plant; Other: maguey (Guam-Chamorro) | Agavaceae | herb |
| Alternanthera pungens | English: khaki weed; Spanish: hierba del pollo | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Amaranthus cruentus | English: bush greens, purple amaranth, red amaranth, red shank; French: amarante étalée, queue de renard; Spanish: achita, bledo | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Amaranthus dubius | English: amaranth, spleen amaranth; French: brède de Malabar; Spanish: bledo, bledos malezas, pira; Other: toyala (Fiji); te uekeueke (Kiribati) | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Ammannia auriculata | Lythraceae | herb | |
| Anagallis arvensis | English: bird's-eye, poor-man's weatherglass, red chickweed, scarlet pimpernel, shepherd's-weatherglass; French: buglosse des champs, mouron des champs; Spanish: murajes | Primulaceae | herb |
| Annona reticulata | English: bullock's-heart, custard-apple; French: annone réticulée, coeur de boeuf; Spanish: anona corazón, corazón de buey, mamán; Other: uto ni bulamakau, chotka sarifa (Fiji) | Annonaceae | |
| Argemone mexicana | English: Mexican prickly-poppy, Mexican poppy, prickly poppy, yellow thistle; French: argémone du Mexique; Spanish: adormidera espinosa, cardo santo, chicalote | Papaveraceae | herb |
| Bacopa procumbens | Scrophulariaceae | herb | |
| Bixa orellana | English: anatto, annato, annatto, arnatto, lipstick tree; French: atole, roucou, roucouyer; Spanish: achiote, achote, bija; Other: ‘uaeva, tāmuramura (Cook Islands (Ma‘uke)), nggisa, nggesa, qesa (Fiji), ‘uaefa (French Polynesia (Tahiti), achiote (Guam—Chamorro); ‘alaea, ‘alaea la‘au, kumauna (Hawai‘i) | Bixaceae | shrub |
| English: green shrimp plant, blackweed (Samoa), Browne’s blechum; Other: ererion , fetinin namocels (Chuuk); yetbas babney (CNMI—Alamagan); lasaga, yetbas babui (CNMI—Saipan); ligakoka (Faraulap); yerbas babui (Guam); aurowra (Nomwin); vao uli (Samoa); atait (Satawal); gacel, malai, melai (Yap) | Acanthaceae | herb | |
| Borreria verticillata | Rubiaceae | herb | |
| Brachiaria eruciformis | English: sweet signal grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Brassica juncea | English: Chinese mustard, India mustard, Indian mustard, Oriental mustard; Spanish: mostaza india; Other: sausi (Fiji); mostaza (Guam-Chamorro) | Brassicaceae | herb |
| Brugmansia suaveolens | Solanaceae | shrub | |
| Cajanus scarabaeoides | English: peanut grass (Fiji), tropical clover (Fiji) | Fabaceae | vine |
| Caladium bicolor | English: caladium, elephant's-ear, fancy-leaf caladium, heart-of-Jesus; Other: corazon de Santa Maria (Guam-Chamorro); kalo-kalakoa (Hawai'i) | Araceae | herb |
| Calotis lappulacea | English: bur daisy, yellow daisy burr | Asteraceae | herb |
| Catharanthus roseus | English: Cape periwinkle, Madagascar periwinkle, old-maid, rose periwinkle, rosy periwinkle; French: pervenche de Madagascar; Spanish: chatas, chula, pervinca de Madagascar; Other: tiare tāpau (Cook Islands), tiare mākaru (Cook Islands (Mangaia, Oneroa Village)); tiare mākurūta (Cook Islands (Ngaputou)); tiare kimo (Cook Islands (eastern Rarotonga)); tiare akiaki (northern Cook Islands); taramea, tiara taramea (Cook Islands (Aitutaki?)); kātini (Cook Islands (Mangaia, Tamarua Villiage)); kihapai (Hawai‘i)) | Apocynaceae | herb |
| Celosia argentea | English: cockscomb | Amaranthaceae | |
| Centaurea melitensis | English: Maltese cockspur, Maltese star thistle, Napa thistle, yellow star thistle; French: coix de Malte | Asteraceae | herb |
| Centaurium spicatum | English: spiked centaury | Gentianaceae | fern |
| Chenopodium ambrosioides | English: American wormseed, bluebush, Jerusalem tea, Mexican tea, Spanish-tea, wormseed; French: ambroisie du Mexique, herbe a puces; Spanish: apazote, aposote, epazote, hierba hormiguera, pazote, paico (Peru); Other: wai ni ukuwomu (Fiji); apasotes, alapasotes (Chamorro-Guam) | Chenopodiaceae | herb |
| Chenopodium murale | English: Australian-spinach, green fat hen, nettle-leaf goosefoot, salt-green, sowbane | Chenopodiaceae | herb |
| Chloris divaricata | English: slender chloris, star grass, star windmill grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Chloris gayana | English: Rhodes grass; French: chloris, herbe de Rhodes; Spanish: grama de Rodas, pasto de Rodas | Poaceae | grass |
| Chloris virgata | English: feather finger grass, feathered chloris, feathertop Rhodes grass, feathery Rhodes grass, oldland grass, sweet grass; Spanish: verdillo plumerito, zacate pluma | Poaceae | grass |
| Cleome gynandra | English: African spider-flower, bastard-mustard, cat's-whiskers, spider wisp, wild spider flower; French: feuilles caya, mozambé; Spanish: acaya, mouzambi, volatí; Other: honohina, ‘ili‘ohu (Hawai‘i) | Capparaceae | herb |
| Cleome spinosa | English: spiny spider-flower | Capparaceae | herb |
| Conyza aegyptiaca | English: fleabane | Asteraceae | herb |
| Conyza canadensis | English: butterweed, Canadian horseweed, Canadian fleabane, hogweed, horseweed | Asteraceae | herb |
| Corchorus olitorius | English: Jew's mallow, jute, Nalta jute, tossa jute; French: corète potagère; Spanish: yute; Other: melokhia (Fiji) | Tiliaceae | herb |
| Corchorus trilocularis | Tiliaceae | herb | |
| Coronopus didymus | English: bittercress, swinecress, wart cress; Other: lesivao (Tonga) | Brassicaceae | herb |
| Cosmos caudatus | English: cosmos | Asteraceae | herb |
| Cotula australis | Engllish: bachelor's-button, carrotweed, common cotula, Australian brass buttons | Asteraceae | herb |
| Crotalaria linifolia | English: narrow-leaved crotalaria | Fabaceae | herb |
| Crotalaria quinquefolia | English: rattlepod; Other: mboa (Fiji); kaskabeles, cascanetas (Chamorro-Guam) | Fabaceae | herb |
| Crotalaria spectabilis | English: rattlebox, showy crotalaria, showy rattlebox, showy rattlepod; French: crotalaire remarquable; Other: kolomona (Hawai‘i); ha'apai (Tonga) | Fabaceae | herb |
| Cuscuta cassytoides | Cuscutaceae | herb | |
|
English: fir-leaved celery, marsh parsley, slender celery |
Apiaceae |
herb |
|
| Cymbopogon refractus | English: barbwire grass, soap grass; Other: ramga, othangithangi, thoyangiyangi (Fiji); aretu monoi, aretu noanoa (French Polynesia) | Poaceae | grass |
| 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 gracilis | English: McCoy grass, slender sedge, whisker grass, whisker sedge; Other: mau‘u hunehune (Hawai‘i) | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Cyperus haspan | Cyperaceae | sedge | |
| Cyperus iria | English: grasshopper's cyperus, rice flat sedge, umbrella sedge; Other: mou, mou hairi | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Cyperus ligularis | English: rocket sedge, swamp flatsedge | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Dactylis glomerata | English: barnyard grass, cocksfoot, cockspur, orchard grass; French: dactyle pelotonné, gramen pelotonné; Spanish: jopillo | Poaceae | grass |
| Datura ferox | English: fierce thorn-apple, large thorn-apple, long-spine thorn-apple | Solanaceae | herb |
| Datura inoxia | English: angel's-trumpet, downy thorn-apple, Indian-apple, sacred datura, thorn-apple; French: datura innocente; Spanish: cacaito | Solanaceae | herb |
| Datura metel | English: datura, downy thorn-apple, Hindu datura, Hindu thorn-apple, hoary thorn-apple, horn-of-plenty, jimson-weed, purple thorn-apple; Spanish: burladora; Other: pūāve (Cook Islands (Ma‘uke, Ngaputoru?)); te uri ni tiana (Kiribati) | Solanaceae | herb |
| Datura stramonium | English: datura, jimsonweed, moonflower, purple thorn-apple, thorn-apple; French: datura stramoine, herbe des taupes, pomme épineuse; Spanish: datura manzana, estramonio, tapa; Other: hurhur (Fiji); lā’au hānō, kīkānia, kīkānia haole (Hawai‘i) | Solanaceae | herb |
| Desmodium gangeticum | Fabaceae | herb | |
| Digitaria eriantha | English: common finger grass, digit grass, pangola grass, woolly finger grass; French: digitaria; Spanish: pangola, pasto pangola | Poaceae | grass |
| Digitaria sanguinalis | English: crab finger grass, hairy crabgrass, large crabgrass, manne terrestre, panic sanguin, summer grass; Spanish: garrachuelo | Poaceae | grass |
| Diplotaxis muralis | English: wall rocket | Brassicaceae | herb |
| Drymaria cordata | English: drymaria, tropical chickweed, West Indian chickweed; French: mourron blanc; Other: pipili, pilipili (Hawai‘i) | Caryophyllaceae | herb |
| Elephantopus mollis | English: elephantopus, elephant’s foot, false tobacco, tobacco weed; French: faux tabac; Other: tapuvae ‘erepani, tapuae ‘erepani, vaevae ‘erepani, tapua ‘erepani? (Cook Islands); tavako ni veikau, jangli tambaku (Fiji); papago' vaca, papago' halom tano, papago' baka, papago' halomtano' (Guam); lata hina, lau veveli (Tonga) | Asteraceae | herb |
| Emex australis | English: doublegee, spiny emex, three-corner Jack | Polygonaceae | herb |
| Polygonaceae | herb | ||
| Emilia coccinea | English: Flora’s paintbrush, tasselflower | Asteraceae | herb |
| Emilia fosbergii | Other: pualele (Hawai‘i—Ni‘ihau) | Asteraceae | herb |
| Eragrostis elongata | English: clustered lovegrass (Australia) | Poaceae | grass |
| Eragrostis tenuifolia | English: elastic grass, love grass | Poaceae | grass |
| Eragrostis tremula | Poaceae | grass | |
| Eragrostis unioloides | Poaceae | grass | |
| Eryngium foetidum | English: false coriander, shadow-beni, stinkweed; French: azier la fièvre, chardon étoilé; Spanish: culantro | Apiaceae | herb |
| Euphorbia helioscopia | English: sun spurge | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Euphorbia heterophylla | English: Mexican fireplant, milkweed, painted euphorbia, painted spurge, paintedleaf, wild spurge; French: caca poule; Spanish: hierba de leche; Other: kaliko (Hawai‘i); te tarai (Kiribati) | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Euphorbia peplus | English: petty spurge | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Eustachys petraea | Poaceae | grass | |
| Fallopia convolvulus | English: black bindweed, wild buckwheat | Polygonaceae | herb |
| Fimbristylis autumnalis | English: slender fimbristylis | Cyperaceae | sedge |
| Foeniculum vulgare | English: fennel; French: fenouil; Spanish: hinojo; Other: taretare tui-‘ei (Cook Islands (‘Atiu)); pan mauri, sonf? (Fiji); anis hinoho (Guam—Chamorro); taletale (Niue) | Apiaceae | herb |
| Fuirena umbellata | Other: yefen (Yap) | Cyperaceae | herb |
| Galinsoga parviflora | English: gallant soldier, small-flower galinsoga, yellow weed | Asteraceae | herb |
| Gamochaeta pensylvanica | English: Pennsylvania cudweed | Asteraceae | herb |
| Gamochaeta purpurea | English: purple cudweed | Asteraceae | herb |
| Gloriosa superba | English: climbing-lily, creeping-lily, flame-lily, glory-lily, gloriosa lily; Other: riri vavai-moa (Cook Islands ('Atiu)) | Liliaceae | herb |
| Gomphrena celosioides | English: gomphrena weed | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Gomphrena globosa | English: bachelor's-button, bozu, globe amaranth, pearly everlasting; French: amarantine; Spanish: amarantina, amor seco, eterna; Other: pōkai kura (Cook Islands); buton agaga (Guam-Chamorro); lehua mau loa, lehua, lehua pepa, leihua (Hawai‘i); malila (Niue, Samoa) | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Gomphrena serrata | English: gamphrena (Guam) | Amaranthaceae | herb |
| Helianthus argophyllus | English: silverleaf sunflower; Other: siola'a (Samoa) | Asteraceae | herb |
| Heliotropium indicum | English: Indian heliotrope, turnsole; Spanish: alacrancillo; Other: berbena (Guam—Chamorro) | Boraginaceae | herb |
| Heliotropium procumbens | Boraginaceae | herb | |
| English: smooth cats-ear | Asteraceae | herb | |
| Impatiens balsamina | English: impatiens, balsam, garden balsam, rose balsam, spotted snapweed, touch-me-not; French: balsamine des jardins, impatience; Other: kamantigi (Guam), patiale (Samoa); polosomo (Tonga) | Balsaminaceae | succulent |
| Indigofera hirsuta | English: hairy indigo, rough hairy indigo | Fabaceae | shrub |
| Indigofera linifolia | Fabaceae | herb | |
| Indigofera spicata | English: creeping indigo | Fabaceae | herb |
| Ipomoea cairica | English: Cairo morning glory, coastal morning glory, ivy-leaved morning glory, railroad-creeper; Other: koali ‘ai, koali, koali ‘ai‘ai (Ni‘ihau), koali lau manamana, kowali, pa‘ali (Hawai‘i), sefifi sea (Niue) | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa | English: bush morning glory, tree ipomoea | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Ipomoea obscura | Convolvulaceae | vine | |
| Ipomoea ochracea | Convolvulaceae | vine | |
| Ipomoea purpurea | English: common morning-glory, tall morning-glory | Convolvulaceae | herb |
| Ipomoea quamoclit | English: Cupid's flower, cypress vine, cypressvine morning-glory, star of Bethlehem, star-glory, sweet-willy; French: cheveux de Venus, liane rouge; Spanish: regadero | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Ipomoea triloba | English: Aiea morning-glory, little bell; Other: fofgu-sabana (Guam-Chamorro); orech (Palau) | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Isachne globosa | Poaceae | grass | |
| Jasminum sambac | English: Arabian jasmine; French: jasmin d'Arabie; Spanish: jazmín de Arabia; Other: pītate papa‘ā (Cook Islands (‘Atiu)); sampagita (Guam—Chamorro) | Oleaceae | vine |
| Kyllinga melanosperma | Cyperaceae | sedge | |
| Leontodon taraxacoides | English: rough hawkbit | Asteraceae | herb |
| Lepidium ruderale | English: peppergrass | Brassicaceae | herb |
| Lepidium sativum | English: garden cress; French: cresson alénois; Spanish: berro de huerta | Brassicaceae | herb |
| Lepidium virginicum | English: peppergrass, Virginia peppercress, Virginia pepperweed, wild peppercress; Spanish: cresón (Peru), mancuerno (Peru), escobilla (Venezuela); Other: naunau (Cook Islands (Aitutaki)) | Brassicaceae | herb |
| Leucas lavandulifolia | Other: guma (Fiji) | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Limonia acidissima | English: elephant-apple, Indian wood-apple, wood-apple | Rutaceae | tree |
| Lindernia antipoda | Scrophulariaceae | herb | |
| Lindernia crustacea | Other: moomai pere, haehaa, mataura (French Polynesia) | Scrophulariaceae | herb |
| Lindernia nummulariifolia | Scrophulariaceae | herb | |
| Lygodium palmatum | English: Hartford fern, American climbing fern, creeping fern, Windsor fern | Schizaeaceae | fern |
| Malva parviflora | English: cheeseweed, Egyptian mallow, little mallow, small-flower mallow; French: mauve à petites fleurs, mauve d'Egypte; Spanish: malva | Malvaceae | herb |
| Marrubium vulgare | English: common horehound, horehound, white horehound; French: marrube blanc, marrube vulgaire; Spanish: marrubio común | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Martynia annua | English: devil's claw, iceplant, small-fruit devil's claw, tiger's-claw; French: Tête de mort | Martyniaceae | herb |
| Medicago lupulina | English: black medic, hop-clover, nonesuch, yellow trefoil; French: lupuline, minette dorée; Spanish: mielga azafranada | Fabaceae | herb |
| Medicago polymorpha | English: burr medic, California bur-clover, hairy medic, toothed bur-clover, toothed medic; French: luzerne hérissée; Spanish: carretón de amores, trébol de carretilla | Fabaceae | herb |
| Melochia corchorifolia | Other: bundaya, bundahia, bundava (Fiji) | Sterculiaceae | herb |
| Merremia bracteata | Other: ambui (Solomon Islands) | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Merremia hirta | Convolvulaceae | herb | |
| Merremia pacifica | Other: veliyawa (Fiji) | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Merremia umbellata | English: yellow wood rose; Other: sovivi (Fiji) | Convolvulaceae | vine |
| Monochoria hastata | English: arrow-leaf monochoria, hastate-leaf pondweed, monochoria | Pontederiaceae | aquatic herb |
| Monochoria vaginalis | English: cordate monochoria, oval-leaf monochoria, oval-leaf-pondweed, pickerel weed; Other: mbekambekairanga (Fiji) | Pontederiaceae | aquatic herb |
| Nelumbo nucifera | English: East Indian lotus, lotus, lotusroot, oriental lotus, sacred lotus; French: fève d'Egypte, lotus indien, lotus sacré; Spanish: loto sagrado, rosa del Nilo | Nelumbonaceae | aquatic herb |
| Nicandra physalodes | English: apple of Peru, shooflyplant; French: nicandra; Spanish: capulí cimarró | Solanaceae | herb |
| Oldenlandia corymbosa | Rubiaceae | herb | |
| Oldenlandia pumila | Rubiaceae | herb | |
| Opuntia dillenii | English: dildo, Eltham indian fig, sweet prickly-pear | Cactaceae | cactus |
| Opuntia stricta | English: erect prickly-pear, southern spineless cactus | Cactaceae | cactus |
| Orthosiphon aristatus | English: cat’s whiskers; Other: emadecharebub (Palau), kumi ni pusi (Fiji), ‘ava pusi (Samoa), kava ‘i pusi (Tonga) | Lamiaceae | herb |
| Ottelia ovalifolia | English: swamp lily (Australia) | Hydrocharitaceae | aquatic herb |
| Oxalis debilis | English: pink wood-sorrel, lilac oxalis; Other: ‘ihi pehu (Hawai‘i), ‘ii (Samoa) | Oxalidaceae | herb |
| English: Australian millet, umbrella grass | Poaceae | grass | |
| Parthenium hysterophorus | English: bitterweed, carrot grass, false ragweed, feverfew, parthenium weed, ragweed parthenium, whitetop, Santa Maria | Asteraceae | herb |
| Paspalum setaceum | Poaceae | grass | |
| Passiflora subpeltata | English: white passionflower; Spanish: granadina | Passifloraceae | vine |
| Persicaria glabra | Other: kāmole (Hawai‘i) | Polygonaceae | |
| Phaseolus lunatus | English: lima bean, butter bean, Burma bean, haricot bean, Madagascar bean, sieva bean, sugar bean; French: haricot de Lima, haricot du Cap, pois du Cap; Spanish: frijol de luna, haba lima, judía de Lima, pallar; Other: sem (Fiji), piini ‘ae puaka (Tonga) | Fabaceae | herb |
| Phyla nodiflora | English: fogfruit, lippia, phyla | Verbenaceae | herb |
| Phyllanthus tenellus | English: long-stalk phyllanthus, Mascarene Island leaf-flower | Euphorbiaceae | herb |
| Phytolacca octandra | Engish: pokeweed, Southern pokeberry, ink weed (Australia) | Phytolaccaceae | shrub |
| Piriqueta racemosa | Turneraceae | herb | |