Family: Portulacaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
- Naturalized and able to spread in tropical climates
- Widely naturalized, including all main Hawaiian Islands
- A lawn, disturbance, and environmental weed and a threat to native plants in the Hawaiian Islands
- Other Portulaca species are invasive
- Tolerates many soil types
- Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by stem fragments
- Self-compatible
- Reaches maturity in one growing season
- Seeds dispersed internally by birds and livestock
- Seeds dispersed externally by vehicles, animals, and water
- Prolific seed production under certain conditions
- Seeds may persist for up to two years
- Tolerates browsing, cutting and other damage
Low Risk Traits:
- May be primarily a weed of disturbed habitats
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Provides fodder for livestock
- Requires full sun to flower
- Herbicides may provide effective control