Family: Poaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
- Broad climate suitability
- Able to grow in areas with tropical climates
- Naturalized on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu islands, and widely naturalized elsewhere
- A disturbance adapted grass with negative environmental impacts
- Other Lolium species are invasive
- May contain endophytic fungi that can be toxic to livestock
- Pollen regarded as a severe allergen
- Increases fire risk
- Tolerates many soil types
- Forms dense swards that displace native grass and forb species and reduce species richness
- Reproduces by seed
- Hybridizes with other grasses
- Able to reach maturity in <1 year
- Seeds dispersed internally and externally by animals, by water, and both intentionally and accidentally by humans
- Prolific seed production
- Tolerates mowing, tilling, grazing and fire
Low Risk Traits:
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
- Provides fodder for livestock (palatable despite reports of toxicity)
- Ornamental
- Shade-intolerant
- Not reported to spread vegetatively (does not produce stolons or rhizomes)
- Self-incompatible
- Seeds not persistent in seedbank
- Several herbicides provide effective control