Family: Apocynaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Thrives and spreads in regions with tropical climates
- Naturalized in several places around the world, including Hawaii Island.
- Currently spreading in vacant, disturbed lots on Hawaii island, with the potential to become an environmental weed if it establishes in native habitat
- An environmental weed in Australia, particularly in rainforests of northern and central Queensland.
- Fruit, if produced, covered in numerous spines.
- Potentially allelopathic.
- Possibly unpalatable to browsing animals.
- Sap is toxic to animals and people if ingested. All parts of the plant may cause irritant dermatitis in susceptible persons.
- Tolerates many soil types.
- Climbing and smothering growth habit.
- Reproduces by seeds (although rarely in the Hawaiian Islands).
- Capable of spreading vegetatively by rooting stems and dumped garden waste.
- Seeds, if produced, dispersed by wind, water, and intentional cultivation.
- Stem fragments may be spread down waterways during floods.
- Coppices and regrows and repeated cutting.
Low Risk Traits:
- Grows best in high light environments (dense shade may inhibit spread)
- Reportedly self-incompatible.
- Reduced or absent fruit and seed production may limit accidental and long-distance dispersal.
- Herbicides may provide effective control.
