Family: Fabaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Broad climate suitability
- Naturalized in regions with temperate and Mediterranean climates, but no evidence in Hawaiian Islands to date
- Reported to be a crop weed, but impacts generally unspecified
- Potentially allelopathic to certain plants
- Tolerates many soil types
- Reproduces by seeds and by rhizomes
- Self-compatible forms exist, but seed set is low
- Reaches maturity in second growing season
- Seeds dispersed by external attachment to animals and internally by passing through animals, as well as intentionally cultivated by humans
- Seeds able to be stored for extended periods but seed bank reported to be transient (longevity unknown)
- Able to regrow slowly after cutting or browsing
Low Risk Traits:
- Generally regarded as a desirable pasture plant, with relatively poor competitive ability, despite reports of weediness
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Provides fodder for livestock
- Grows in full sunlight (may limit ability to spread under dense vegetation)
- Primarily self-incompatible, although self-fertile forms exist (with low seed set)