Family: Fabaceae
Neonotonia wightii is a twining or prostrate perennial climbing herb, often becoming woody at the base. It occurs in grassland, scrub, riverine thicket and woodland within its widespread native range which stretches from Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula and into the tropics of India, Malaysia and Indonesia. Widely introduced, it is valued outside its native range for livestock forage and has become invasive in many Pacific islands including the Hawaiian Islands, and Australia. Where invasive, it is spread by viable seeds eaten and dispersed by livestock, grows rapidly in open and disturbed areas, and can smother or reduce available light to grasses, understory vegetation, and in some cases, shrubs and small trees (CABI 2015). In the Hawaiian Islands, it threatens at least seven rare or endangered plant species, and is reported as naturalized on all main Hawaiian Islands except Niihau.
High Risk Traits:
- Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
- Thrives in tropical climates
- Widely naturalized outside native range
- Disturbance-adapted weed with negative environmental impacts
- Host for crop pathogens
- Tolerates many soil types
- Smothers other vegetation
- Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively at nodes
- Self-compatible
- Seeds dispersed by animals (internally), intentionally by people, secondarily by water and as a contaminant of soil, garden waste or other fodder
- Able to reach maturity quickly (in 12 months)
- Prolific seed production
- Hard-coated seeds capable of forming a persistent seed bank (longevity unknown)
- Intolerant of heavy grazing, but tolerates fire
Low Risk Traits:
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
- Provides fodder for livestock
- Non-toxic
- Shade reduces productivity (thrives in high light environments)
- Herbicides may provide effective control