Family: Cactaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Grows, and could spread, in regions with tropical climates
  
• Described as semi-naturalized in Brazil, and persisting, or possibly naturalizing on Maui and Hawaii islands
  
• Spiny
  
• Tolerates shade
  
• Climbing, and potentially smothering, habit
  
• Reproduces by seeds (rarely) and vegetative fragments
  
• Seeds, if produced, dispersed by birds, or other frugivores
  
• Dispersed by people through intentional cultivation and possibly through discarded garden waste or vegetative fragments
  
• Gaps in biological and ecological information may reduce accuracy of risk prediction

Low Risk Traits:

• No reports of negative impacts where introduced
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Rarely, if ever flowers, limiting potential for long distance dispersal
  
• Suspected of being pollinated by nocturnal pollinators (bats or hawk moths), which may limit seed set, when flowers are produced