Family: Urticaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
  
• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized on Hawaii Island (first global record of naturalization)
  
• A pioneer plant of secondary vegetation (attributes of many other weedy species)
  
• Occurs near and could threaten the endangered Hawaiian tree Flueggea neowawraea W.J. Hayden
  
• Phenax sonneratii reported to be a crop weed of bananas, orchards and plantations
  
• Shade tolerant
  
• Forms dense thickets on Hawaii island
  
• Reproduces by achenes
  
• Unspecialized fruit (achenes) dispersed by wind, and probably water based on frequent occurrence in riparian habitats
  
• Gaps in biological and ecological information reduce accuracy of risk prediction

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no stinging hairs)
  
• May be somewhat palatable to browsing and grazing animals
  
• Non-toxic
  
• A plant of wet habitats (unlikely to threaten arid regions of islands)