List of endemic plants of Samoa

Map of the Botanical country of Samoa, which includes both Samoa and American Samoa.

the botanical country of Samoa has islands of Savai'i, Upolu, Tutuila, and many smaller islands. is home to over 180 endemic species, making it one of the places with the highest biodiversity of floras in Polynesia after Hawaii^[1]^[2] Politically, American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States, but the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions classifies it alongside Samoa as a single botanical country.^[3]

Acanthaceae

Dicliptera samoensis Seem (1866)

Anacardiaceae

Buchanania merrillii Christoph.

Annonaceae

Huberantha whistleri I.M Turner. & Utteridge
Polyalthia sp. nova

Apocynaceae

Hoya artwhistleri Kloppenb.
Alyxia samoensis (Christoph.) A.C.Sm
Hoya betchei Schltr.
Hoya corollimarginata Kloppenb.
Hoya spencii Kloppenb.
Hoya faoensis Kloppenb.
Hoya filiformis Rech.
Hoya fetuana Rech.
Hoya fetuana subsp. fetuana
Hoya fetuana subsp. sigaeleensis
Hoya fetuana subsp. tutuilensis
Hoya malata Kloppenb.
Hoya fitoensis Kloppenb.
Hoya nuuuliensis Kloppenb. & Siar
Hoya ofuensis Kloppenb.
Hoya mata-ole-afiensis Kloppenb.
Hoya patameaensis Kloppenb.-Savai'i
Hoya savaiiensis Kloppenb.
Hoya matavanuensis Kloppenb.
Hoya nuuuliensis Kloppenb.
Hoya ofuensis Kloppenb.
Hoya seanwhistleriana Kloppenb.
Hoya tamaleaaea Kloppenb.
Hoya uafatoensis Kloppenb.
Hoya whistleri Kloppenb.
Hoya olosegansis Kloppenb.
Hoya crassior Kloppenb.
Physostelma betchei Schltr.
Hoya samoa-albiflora Kloppenb.
Hoya savaiiensis subsp. falealupoensis Kloppenb.
Hoya tamaleaaeaKloppenb.
Hoya tauensis
Hoya tiatuilaensis Kloppenb.
Hoya × tuafanua

Araliaceae

Meryta malietoa P.A.Cox
Polyscias pleiosperma (A.Gray.) Lowry & Plunkett.
Polyscias lanutoensis (A.Gray.) Lowry & Plunkett
Polyscias reineckei Harms.
Schefflera samoensis (A.Gray.) Harms.

Arecaceae

Aspleniaceae

Athyrium oosorum W.J.Baker. Christ
Asplenium pacificum Holttum
Hymenasplenium oligosorum Li Bing Zhang
Hymenasplenium samoaense Li Bing Zhang

Asteliaceae

Astelia samoense (Skottsb.) Birch

Aristolochiaceae

Aristolochia cortinata Reinecke

Calophyllaceae

Mammea glauca (Merr) Kosterm

Cunoniaceae

Spiraeanthemum samoense A.Gray.

Cyperacecae

Carex samoensis Boeckeler
Cyperus whitmeei(C.B.Clarke) Kük.

Cyatheaceae

Alsophila pacifica Christenh.
Cyathea scabra Baker.J
Cyathea setchellii Copel.

Dennstaedtiaceae

Dennstaedtia nudisora (C.Chr.) ined.
Hypolepis aspidioides Christ

Elaeocarpaceae

Elaeocarpus magnifolius Christoph.
Elaeocarpus tuasivicus Christoph.

Ericaceae

Vaccinium whitmeei F.Muell

Euphorbiaceae

Claoxylon montanum whistler
Claoxylon samoense Pax & K.Hoffm
Homalanthus acuminatus (Mull.Arg.) Pax
Macaranga grayana (Mull.Arg.)
Macaranga monostyla Whistler
Macaranga savaiiensis whistler
Macaranga stipulosa (Mull.Arg.)
Tanarius grayanus (Mull.Arg.)
Tanarius stipulosus (Mull.Arg.)

Fabaceae

Serianthes melanesica var. samoensis Fosberg
Strongylodon rubriflorus Whistler

Gesneriaceae

Cyrtandra campanulata Reinecke
Cyrtandra angustivenosa Rech
Cyrtandra aurantiicarpa G.W.Gillett
Cyrtandra compressa C.B.Clarke
Cyrtandra falcifolia C.B.Clarke
Cyrtandra funkii Reinecke
Cyrtandra geminata Reinecke
Cyrtandra graeffei Reinecke
Cyrtandra guerkeana Lauterb.
Cyrtandra kruegeri Reinecke
Cyrtandra longipedunculata Rech.
Cyrtandra mamolea Reinecke
Cyrtandra nitens C.B Clarke
Cyrtandra nudiflora C.B Clarke
Cyrtandra pogonantha A.Gray
Cyrtandra pulchella O.Rich ex A.Gray
Cyrtandra richii A. Gray.

Goodeniaceae

Scaevola samoensis whistler
Scaevola nubigena Lauterb.

Heliconiaceae

Heliconia laufao W.J.Kress

Hymenophyllaceae

Hymenophyllum praetervisum Christ
Trichomanes samoense (Copel.) C.Chr.,

Lycopodiaceae

Huperzia samoana (Herter ex Nessel) Holub

Lauracecae

Cinnamomum elegans Reinecke
Cryptocarya samoensis Christoph.
Cryptocarya wilderiana Christoph.
Litsea samoensis Christoph.

Malvaceae

Abutilon whistleri Fosberg

Melastomatacecae

Astronidium lemafaense J.F Maxwell
Astronidium navigatorum Christoph
Astronidium pickeringii ((A. Gray.)) Christoph.
Astronidium samoense (S.Moore) Markgr
Astronidium subcordatum A. Gray.
Medinilla samoensis (Hochr.) Christoph.

Moraceae

Ficus hygrophila Rech.
Ficus samoensis summerh.
Ficus uniauriculata Warb.

Myrtaceae

Metrosideros gregoryi Christoph.
Syzygium brevifolium A. Gray
Syzygium christophersenii Whistler.
Syzygium graeffei Whistler
Syzygium hebephyllum Mellvile
Syzygium oligadelphum (Christoph.) Merr & L.M. Perry.
Syzygium patentinerve Christoph.
Syzygium reineckei Whistler
Syzygium savaiiense A.Gray.
Syzygium subimbricatum Whistler
Syzygium vaupelii Whistler

Nyctaginaceae

Ceodes merytifolia (Whistler) E.F.S.Rossetto & Caraballo

Orchidaceae

Corybas betchei (F.Muell) Schltr.
Dendrobium fililobum F.Muell.
Dendrobium lepidochilum Kraenzl
Dendrobium samoense P.J.Cribb.
Dendrobium scirpoides Schltr.
Habenaria samoensis F.Muell. & Kraenzl
Liparis phyllocardia Schltr
Nervilia grandiflora Schltr
Peristylus cryptostylus (Rchb.) Omrerod
Platylepis heteromorpha Rchb.f.
Taeniophyllum savaiiense P.J.Cribb. & Whistler
Taeniophyllum whistleri P.J.Cribb.
Zeuxine plantaginea Rchb.f

Pandanaceae

Pandanus reineckei warb.
Pandanus turritus Martelli

Pentaphylacaceae

Eurya fosbergii Whistler.
Eurya pickeringii A.Gray.

Phyllanthaceae

Baccaurea taitensis Mull.Arg.
Phyllanthus christophersenii Croizat) W.L.Wagner & Lorence
Phyllanthus cuspidatus Mull.Arg.

Piperaceae

Peperomia samoensis Warb.
Peperomia savaiiensis whistler
Piper rechingeri C.DC.

Pitosporaceae

Pittosporum samoense Christoph.

Polypodiaceae

Ctenitis samoensis (C.Chr.) Holttum
Grammitis christophersenii Copel.
Grammitis deltoideophylla (Baker) Christenh.
Grammitis insularis Copel.
Grammitis lepida (Brause) Christenh.
Grammitis monticola Sledge
Grammitis samoensis (Baker) Ching,
Grammitis thalia Christenh.
Grammitis whitmeei (Baker) Copel.

Primulaceae

Myrsine longipes (A.C.Sm.) Ricketson & Pipoly

Pteridaceae

Pteris vaupelii Hieron

Rubiaceae

Calycosia sessilis A.Gray.
Coprosma savaiiensis Rech.
Coprosma strigulosa Lauterb.
Eumachia chlorocalyx (K.Schum.) Barrabé
Eumachia geminodens (K.Schum.) Barrabé
Eumachia geminodens (K.Schum.) Barrabé
Eumachia samoana (K.Schum.) Barrabé
Eumachia savaiiensis (Rech.) Barrabé
Eumachia sclerocarpa (Whistler) Barrabé.
Eumachia vaupelii (Whistler) Barrabé
Gardenia lanutoo Reinecke
Ixora amplifolia A.Gray.
Morinda pacifica (Reinecke) Razafim.
Morinda ramosa (Lauterb.) Razafim.
Psychotria apodantha A.Gray.
Psychotria bristolii Whistler.
Psychotria christophersenii Whistler
Psychotria closterocarpa A.Gray
Psychotria garberiana Christoph
Psychotria gigantopus K.Schum.
Psychotria grandistipulata (Lauterb.) Whistler
Psychotria juddii Christoph.
Psychotria pacifica K.Schum.
Psychotria reineckei K.Schum.
Psychotria xanthochlora K.Schum.
Timonius affinis var. samoensis S.P.Darwin

Rutaceae

Melicope albiflora Rech.
Melicope lauterbachii Rech.
Melicope richii (A.Gray) T.G.Hartley
Melicope savaiensis T.G.Hartley
Melicope sulcata T.G.Hartley
Melicope vatiana (Setch.) T.G.Hartley

Saccolomataceae

Saccoloma samoense (Hovenkamp & T.T.Luong) Christenh.

Salicaceae

Casearia samoensis Whistler

Sapindaceae

Lepidocupania samoensis (Christoph.) Buerki

Sapotaceae

Manilkara samoensis H.J.Lam & B.Meeuse
Palaquium stehlinii Christoph.

Selaginellaceae

Selaginella christii Hieron
Selaginella hochreutineri Hieron
Selaginella reineckei Hieron

Stemonuraceae

Medusanthera samoensis (Reinecke) R.A.Howard

Urticaceae

Cypholophus stipulatus Hochr
Elatostema basiandrum Reinecke
Elatostema cupreoviride Rech
Elatostema glanduliferum Whistler
Elatostema graeffei Reinecke
Elatostema grandifolium Reinecke
Elatostema kraemeri Reinecke
Elatostema obliquifolium Reinecke
Elatostema paxii Reinecke
Elatostema rechingeri Whistler
Elatostema samoense Reinecke
Elatostema savaiiense Whistler
Elatostema strictum Reinecke
Elatostema tutuilense Whistler
Elatostema scabriusculum Setch.
Pipturus polynesicus var. samoensis (Hochr.) Skottsb.

Thelypteridaceae

Thelypteris bryanii (c.chr.) Christenh.
Thelypteris hochreutineri (c.chr.) Christenh.
Thelypteris pycnosora (c.chr.) Christenh.
Thelypteris reineckei (c.chr.) Christenh.
Thelypteris subjuncta Baker
Thelypteris vaupelii (c.chr.) Christenh.
Thelypteris pubirachis var. pubirachis.

Zingiberaceae

Hellwigia samoensis (Reinecke) Senjaya & A.D.Poulsen

References

↑ Goodale, Matt (2022-01-03). "NTBG completes the Flora of Samoa". National Tropical Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
↑ "Endemic Plants of Samoa".
↑ "World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions" (PDF). International Working Group on Taxonomic Databases For Plant Sciences (TDWG). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2026.

[1] Goodale, Matt (2022-01-03). "NTBG completes the Flora of Samoa". National Tropical Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2026-07-12.

[2] "Endemic Plants of Samoa".

[3] "World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions" (PDF). International Working Group on Taxonomic Databases For Plant Sciences (TDWG). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2026.

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