Family: Melastomataceae

High Risk Traits:

• Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
  
• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Widely naturalized tropical weed
  
• Disturbance-adapted
  
• Weed of agriculture and pastures
  
• Environmental weed
  
• Unpalatable
  
• Possibly toxic to browsing animals
  
• Shade-tolerant
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Forms dense thickets and prevents native plant regeneration
  
• Reproduces by seeds
  
• Able to produce seeds through agamospermy
  
• May be able to spread vegetatively (but primarily by seed)
  
• Reaches maturity in <1 year
  
• Seeds dispersed by birds, water and and unintentionally as a result of human activity
  
• Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)
  
• Forms a persistent seed bank (at least 4 years)
  
• Able to resprout after cutting to the base
  
• No effective biocontrol agents present in the Hawaiian Islands

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• Herbicides may provide effective control
  
• In some locations, biocontrol has been effective