Family: Sphagnaceae

High Risk Traits:

• A predominantly temperate species, but able to grow in higher elevation tropical islands
  
• Naturalized on Oahu and outside natural range on Hawaii island
  
• An environmental weed on Oahu (Hawaiian Islands), smothering the ground and threatening native plant regeneration
  
• Allelopathic
  
• Unpalatable to browsing and grazing animals
  
• Shade-tolerant
  
• Forms dense mats that exclude native vegetation
  
• Reproduces by spores and vegetatively
  
• Able to reproduce rapidly
  
• Dispersed along trails by human activity
  
• Spores dispersed by wind and possibly water
  
• Intentionally spread by people, and unintentionally spread in planting materials
  
• Able to recover from trampling and mechanical control

Low Risk Traits:

• May be limited to cooler, higher elevation areas with sufficient moisture
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Dioecious (may limit sexual reproduction)
  
• Chemical control methods have proven effective