Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Climbing Seedbox (Ludwigia prostrata) - High Risk

Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.

Ludwigia prostrata is a semi-aquatic annual plant native to southern and eastern Asia. It is not present in trade in the United States, but it is used in China as medicine, fodder for animals, and is a candidate for bioremediation uses. This species has been introduced outside its native range in China and Madagascar, and its native status in Singapore is uncertain. Established nonnative populations in China are reported to seriously diminish rice production, so the history of invasiveness is classified as High. Overall climate match with the contiguous United States is high, with the highest matches occurring along the southeastern Atlantic coast from Virginia to Florida, and in the northern Great Plains of eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. The certainty of this assessment is low due to limited information on impacts of introduction in the English-language literature and a lack of georeferenced occurrence data for portions of the species range. The overall risk assessment category for Ludwigia prostrata is High.

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High Risk
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