Family: Pteridaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
  
• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized on all the main Hawaiian Islands and Australia
  
• Disturbance-adapted, and regarded as a weed, but var. austroamericana generally not mentioned as having detrimental impacts
  
• Possibly unpalatable (persists in areas heavily impacted by ungulates)
  
• Reproduces by spores
  
• Hybridizes with other Pityrogramma species and varieties
  
• Gametophytes are self-compatible
  
• Spores dispersed by wind, water, and along heavily trafficked areas
  
• Prolific spore production

Low Risk Traits:

• Despite naturalization, impacts unspecified or uncertain
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Provides fodder for livestock (palatable despite reports of toxicity)
  
• Ornamental
  
• Persists in high light environments
  
• Not reported to spread vegetatively