Family: Poaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Broad climate suitability
- Grows and able to spread in tropical regions
- Naturalized in Australia and North America (Mexico and SE USA), but no evidence in the Hawaiian Islands to date
- A weedy grass and minor agricultural weed reported to impact quality and yield of certain crops
- Other Urochloa species are invasive weeds
- Can accumulate toxic levels of nitrate and should not be fed to livestock if the grass has been stressed by drought or cold conditions
- Tolerates many soil types
- Reproduces by seeds
- Annual/perennial life cycle (able to reach maturity in one growing season)
- Seeds dispersed by cultivation, possibly water, and potentially by animals or as a crop contaminant
- Seeds may form a persistent seed bank
Low Risk Traits:
- A domesticated crop with cultivated forms that have greatly reduced dispersibility
- Weedy impacts appear to be restricted to certain crops
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Valued pasture grass and source of feed for birds
- Grows best in high light environments (dense shade may inhibit spread)
- Herbicides, mowing and potentially fire may provide effective control