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