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.
Forked Fanwort, Cabomba furcata, is an aquatic plant native to northern South America, Central America, and the Greater Antilles. It has been reported in Puerto Rico (where it is also a regulated species) although it is unclear whether C. furcata is native or nonnative to Puerto Rico. This species is widely available in the aquarium trade in the United States and internationally; in trade, it is occasionally confused with the conspecific C. caroliniana. C. furcata has been introduced to Malaysia and Taiwan, and its negative impacts of introduction have been well studied in a lake in peninsular Malaysia. C. furcata clogs waterways and impedes boat movement, reduces water quality, affects eco-tourism potential, and displaces native aquatic plants. The history of invasiveness is High. The overall climate match for the contiguous United States was Medium. Areas of high match were scattered along the Southeast coastline from Texas to South Carolina, with the highest match being found in peninsular Florida. The certainty of this assessment is High. The overall risk assessment category for Cabomba furcata is High.
Publication date
Type of document
High Risk
Program
