Family: Rubiaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Thrives in tropical climates
- Shade-tolerant
- Reproduces by seeds
- Reaches maturity in 2-3 years
- Seeds dispersed by frugivorous animals, and intentionally by people for cultivation
Low Risk Traits:
- No reports of invasiveness or naturalization, but no evidence of widespread introduction outside native range
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
- Palatable to deer and possibly other browsing animals
- Non-toxic
- Edible fruit
- Dioecious
- Not reported to spread vegetatively
- Relatively large fruit and seeds unlikely to be inadvertently dispersed
- Does not tolerate fires