Nickel

Hyperaccumulation threshold: 1,000 µg g⁻¹ [ref] Primary

Nickel is by far the largest and best-studied hyperaccumulation group, with well over 400 known taxa. Most grow on ultramafic (serpentine) soils enriched in Ni, Co and Cr. Classic examples span the Mediterranean Odontarrhena (formerly Alyssum), New Caledonian trees such as Pycnandra acuminata, and Southeast Asian Phyllanthus and Rinorea. Several are cultivated for nickel agromining.

20 species recorded in this database; highest cited value 47,500 µg g⁻¹.

		Metal			Region	Uptake	Verify
Berkheya coddii	Asteraceae	Ni Nickel	11,600	11.6×	South Africa (Mpumalanga)	Obligate	review
Bornmuellera emarginata	Brassicaceae	Ni Nickel	34,000	34×	Greece	Obligate	review
Bornmuellera tymphaea	Brassicaceae	Ni Nickel	31,200	31.2×	Greece	Obligate	review
Geissois pruinosa	Cunoniaceae	Ni Nickel	15,000	15×	New Caledonia	Obligate	review
Hybanthus floribundus	Violaceae	Ni Nickel	13,500	13.5×	Australia (Western Australia)	Facultative	review
Leucocroton flavicans	Euphorbiaceae	Ni Nickel	26,000	26×	Cuba	Obligate	review
Noccaea caerulescens	Brassicaceae	Ni Nickel	12,000	12×	Western & Central Europe	Facultative	review
Noccaea goesingensis	Brassicaceae	Ni Nickel	12,000	12×	Austria, Central Europe	Obligate	review
Odontarrhena chalcidica	Brassicaceae	Ni Nickel	22,000	22×	Balkans, Anatolia	Obligate	review
Odontarrhena lesbiaca	Brassicaceae	Ni Nickel	20,000	20×	Greece (Lesbos), Anatolia	Obligate	review
Odontarrhena serpyllifolia	Brassicaceae	Ni Nickel	15,000	15×	Iberian Peninsula, France	Obligate	review
Phyllanthus balgooyi	Phyllanthaceae	Ni Nickel	16,000	16×	Borneo (Sabah), Philippines (Palawan)	Obligate	primary
Phyllanthus rufuschaneyi	Phyllanthaceae	Ni Nickel	13,000	13×	Borneo (Sabah)	Obligate	review
Psychotria douarrei	Rubiaceae	Ni Nickel	47,500	47.5×	New Caledonia	Obligate	review
Pycnandra acuminata	Sapotaceae	Ni Nickel	11,700	11.7×	New Caledonia	Obligate	primary
Rinorea bengalensis	Violaceae	Ni Nickel	17,500	17.5×	Southeast Asia, Melanesia	Facultative	review
Rinorea niccolifera	Violaceae	Ni Nickel	18,000	18×	Philippines (Luzon)	Obligate	review
Senecio coronatus	Asteraceae	Ni Nickel	5,700	5.7×	South Africa	Facultative	review
Stackhousia tryonii	Celastraceae	Ni Nickel	41,300	41.3×	Australia (Queensland)	Obligate	review
Streptanthus polygaloides	Brassicaceae	Ni Nickel	14,800	14.8×	USA (California)	Obligate	review