Family: Malvaceae

Abroma augusta, commonly known as devil’s cotton, is a tropical shrub or small tree native to regions from India to Southeast Asia, southern China, northern Australia, and the Solomon Islands. It thrives in warm, humid climates with well-distributed rainfall and is often found in secondary forests, along watercourses, and in disturbed areas. The plant is valued for its fiber, which is used in rope and textile production, and has traditional medicinal uses. However, it is covered with irritating hairs that can cause discomfort. Abroma augusta reproduces both by seeds, which have short viability, and vegetatively through root suckers, enabling it to spread locally. While it has been introduced to parts of Africa and other tropical regions, its current invasiveness is unclear, though it has been reported as a weed in some areas without significant documented impacts.

The plant’s ability to tolerate a range of soil conditions and its rapid growth rate (reaching maturity in 100–120 days) raise concerns about its potential to spread in suitable climates. It can form thickets and resprout after cutting, which may allow it to persist in disturbed habitats. However, its shade intolerance and reliance on pollinators for reproduction may limit its invasiveness in intact ecosystems. While Abroma augusta is not highly toxic, its irritating hairs and potential to compete with native vegetation warrant caution. Further evaluation is recommended to assess its ecological impacts in regions where it has been introduced, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas with similar conditions to its native range.

High Risk Traits:

• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized in Africa
  
• Reported to be a crop weed, but no impacts have been specified
  
• Covered with irritating hairs
  
• Tolerates many soil types (potential spread not substrate-limited)
  
• Grows in tufts or thickets (but unclear if it forms dense monocultures, or is a component of thicket vegetation)
  
• Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by root suckers
  
• Rapidly reaches maturity (100-120 days from seed)
  
• Seeds dispersed by people and probably water; other dispersal agents unknown
  
• Able to coppice and resprout after cutting

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs), but has irritating hairs
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Valued as a fiber plant, and used as a food in some regions
  
• A light-loving plant (unlikely to spread into shady, intact forests)
  
• Seeds rapidly lose viability, and will not form a persistent seed bank