Family: Poaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
- Grows in tropical climates
- Naturalized in the Hawaiian Islands (Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii), Reunion Island, Chile, England, and South Africa
- Disturbance adapted
- An environmental weed in the Hawaiian Islands, preventing recruitment of native plants and threatening endangered species
- Other Ehrharta species are invasive
- Increases fire hazard in native ecosystems
- Shade-tolerant
- Forms dense ground cover
- Reproduces by seed
- Able to self-pollinate (cleistogamous)
- Able to spread vegetatively with rhizomes
- Reaches maturity quickly (1-2 years)
- Seeds dispersed by attaching to clothing, fur, as a contaminant of wool, and intentionally planted
- A small percentage of seeds may persist in the soil for >1 year
- Tolerates grazing, fire and mowing
- No natural enemies known in the Hawaiian Islands
Low Risk Traits:
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
- Palatable to grazing animals
- Non-toxic
- Some herbicides provide effective control