Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.
Variableleaf water hyacinth (Eichhornia diversifolia) is an aquatic flowering plant with floating leaves that is native to Central and South America, and sub-Saharan Africa. The populations in Africa are recorded under the synonym E. natans. Some taxonomists treat E. natans as separate species. E. diversifolia is reportedly widely available in the aquarium and garden trade. The history of invasiveness is No Known Nonnative Population. E. diversifolia has been introduced to Puerto Rico but is now considered extirpated. It is listed as a prohibited species in Florida. It has also been introduced to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Hungary, India, Iraq, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. There are historical records of E. diversifolia in Florida and Texas, but no information was available regarding the status of the species in those locations. No information regarding status of the introductions or impacts was available. The overall climate match for the contiguous United States is Medium. Areas of Florida had a high match while areas from the southwest east to the southern Atlantic Coast had medium matches. The certainty of assessment is Low due to a lack of information. The overall risk assessment category for E. diversifolia is Uncertain.
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Uncertain Risk
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