Australia/New Zealand Weed Risk Assessment adapted for Florida. Data used for analysis published in: Gordon, D.R., D.A. Onderdonk, A.M. Fox, R.K. Stocker, and C. Gantz. 28. Predicting Invasive Plants in Florida using the Australian Weed Risk Assessment. Invasive Plant Science and Management : 7895. Richardia scabra (Florida pusley) Question number Question Answer Score. Is the species highly domesticated? n.2 Has the species become naturalised where grown?.3 Does the species have weedy races? 2. Species suited to Florida's USDA climate zones (-low; -intermediate; 2-high) 2 2.2 Quality of climate match data (-low; -intermediate; 2-high) 2 2.3 Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility) 2.4 Native or naturalized in habitats with periodic inundation 2.5 Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural y range? 3. Naturalized beyond native range y 3.2 Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y 3.3 Weed of agriculture y 3.4 Environmental weed n 3.5 Congeneric weed y 4. Produces spines, thorns or burrs n 4.2 Allelopathic n 4.3 Parasitic n 4.4 Unpalatable to grazing animals 4.5 Toxic to animals n 4.6 Host for recognised pests and pathogens 4.7 Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans n 4.8 Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems n 4.9 Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle 4. Grows on infertile soils (oligotrophic, limerock, or excessively draining soils) y 4. Climbing or smothering growth habit n 4.2 Forms dense thickets n 5. Aquatic n
5.2 Grass n 5.3 Nitrogen fixing woody plant n 5.4 Geophyte n 6. Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat 6.2 Produces viable seed y 6.3 Hybridizes naturally 6.4 Self-compatible or apomictic 6.5 Requires specialist pollinators n 6.6 Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation? 6.7 Minimum generative time (years) 7. Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas) 7.2 Propagules dispersed intentionally by people n 7.3 Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant n 7.4 Propagules adapted to wind dispersal n 7.5 Propagules water dispersed n 7.6 Propagules bird dispersed 7.7 Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally) n 7.8 Propagules dispersed by other animals (internally) 8. Prolific seed production 8.2 Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (> yr) y? 8.3 Well controlled by herbicides y 8.4 Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation or cultivation 8.5 Effective natural enemies present in Florida, or east of the continental divide Total Score 8 Outcome Reject* *Used secondary screen from: Daehler, C. C., J.L. Denslow, S. Ansari, and H. Kuo. 24. A risk assessment system for screening out harmful invasive pest plants from Hawaii s and other Pacific islands. Conserv. Biol. 8: 36-368. 2
section # questions answered satisfy minimum? A 6 yes B 9 yes C 4 yes total 29 yes Data collected 26-27 Question number Reference Source data. no evidence of cultivation.2.3 2. 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5. Wunderlin (23) Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. 2. Lewis and Oliver (974) Revision of Richardia 3. 3.2 (Rubiaceae). Brittonia 26: 27-3. 3. Mishra (999) Florida pusley (Richardia scabra L.): a problem weed of upland rice - its growth behaviour, economic use and control. Indian Journal of Weed Science 3: 27-273. Flora of Zimbabwe (http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.p hp?species_id=567).. Lorenzi (99) Plantas Daninhas do Brasil. Instituto Plantarum. 2. Flora of Zimbabwe (http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.p hp?species_id=567). 3.3. Mishra (999) Florida pusley (Richardia scabra L.): a problem weed of upland rice - its growth behaviour, economic use and control. Indian Journal of Weed Science 3: 27-273. 2. Holm (979) A Geographical Atlas of World Weeds. John Wiley and Sons. 3.4 no evidence 3.5 Holm (979) A Geographical Atlas of World Weeds. John Wiley and Sons. Native to South America (); introduced into east and southern Africa(2) and India (3). R. scabra and R. brasiliensis both "now naturalised weeds in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world".. "This nuisance plant is quite frequent, principally infesting roadsides and vacant lots." 2. Considered a naturalized weed in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world.. R. scabra is a weed of rice in India. 2. R. scabra is a common weed of agriculture in El Salvador and the U.S. R. brasiliensis is a principal weed of agriculture in Brazil, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and Swaziland, and it is a common 3
weed in Argentina, Hawaii, Indonesia, and South Africa. 4. Lewis and Oliver (974) Revision of Richardia (Rubiaceae). Brittonia 26: 27-3. no description of these traits 4.2 no evidence 4.3 Lewis and Oliver (974) Revision of Richardia (Rubiaceae). Brittonia 26: 27-3. no description of this 4.4 4.5 no evidence 4.6 4.7 no evidence 4.8 no evidence 4.9 4. Lewis and Oliver (974) Revision of Richardia "It inhabits savannas and (Rubiaceae). Brittonia 26: 27-3. grasslands in sandy soil" 4. USDA, NRCS. 25. The PLANTS Database, Version Center, Baton Rouge, LA 7874-449 USA. growth habit: forb/herb 4.2 no evidence, and is an herb 5. terrestrial 5.2 USDA, NRCS. 25. The PLANTS Database, Version Center, Baton Rouge, LA 7874-449 USA. Rubiaceae 5.3 USDA, NRCS. 25. The PLANTS Database, Version Center, Baton Rouge, LA 7874-449 USA. herbaceous Rubiaceae 5.4 "from a long, often thick taproot or from slender fibrous roots" [referring to subgenus Richardia, to which R. scabra belongs] Lewis and Oliver (974) Revision of Richardia (Rubiaceae). Brittonia 26: 27-3. 6. 6.2 Biswas, Bell, Crayton, and Paul (975) Germination behavior of Florida pusley seeds.. Effects of storage, light, temperature and planting depths on germination. Weed Science 23: 4-43. 6.3 6.4 6.5 The Pollination Home Page, plant/pollinator database (http://pollinator.com/plant_pol/richardia_scabra.htm). 6.6 Lewis and Oliver (974) Revision of Richardia (Rubiaceae). Brittonia 26: 27-3. 6.7 Lewis and Oliver (974) Revision of Richardia (Rubiaceae). Brittonia 26: 27-3. propagated by seeds Flowers visited by butterflies and honeybees. "not usually rooting at the nodes" annual 7. 7.2 no evidence of intentional introduction 7.3 no evidence 7.4 Hall, Vandiver, and Ferrell (24) Florida Pusley, "Each flower typically produces 4
Richardia scabra L. University of Florida, IFAS Extension, SP 37 (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/fw/fw34.pdf). 3 nutlets from 2-3.5 mm in length and about.5-2 mm in width." [no evidence of adaptations for wind dispersal] 7.5 no evidence 7.6 7.7 Lewis and Oliver (974) Revision of Richardia no evidence of any means of (Rubiaceae). Brittonia 26: 27-3. attachment 7.8 8. 8.2. Chivinge, Munjoma, and Mashingaidze (997) Germination and seedling emergence in Mexican clover (Richardia scabra L.) and its interference with groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Crop Research Hisar 4: 998. 2. Biswas, Bell, Crayton, and Paul (975) Germination behavior of Florida pusley seeds.. Effects of storage, light, temperature and planting depths on germination. Weed Science 23: 4-43. 8.3 Hall, Vandiver, and Ferrell (24) Florida Pusley, Richardia scabra L. University of Florida, IFAS Extension, SP 37 (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/fw/fw34.pdf). 8.4 8.5. "Germination, which decreased with seed age, was highest (58.5%) in -year-old seeds, whereas 9-year-old seeds failed to germinate." [probably not in soil, but still a high germination percentage after year] 2. "Air-dried seeds can be stored either at 5 or at 25 C without losing viability, at least up to a period of year after harvest." [not in soil, but no loss of viability for a year] Prowl, Sonalan, and Treflan all provide effective control of Florida pusley. 5