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)