Answer

Score

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated? (If answer is 'no' then go to question 2.01)

n

0

1.02

Has the species become naturalized where grown?

1.03

Does the species have weedy races?

2.01

Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) – If island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute “wet tropical” for “tropical or subtropical”

1

2.02

Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2

2

2.03

Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility)

y

1

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

n

0

2.05

Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2

y

3.01

Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05

n

-2

3.02

Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

y

1

3.03

Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

3.04

Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

3.05

Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

y

1

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

n

0

4.02

Allelopathic

n

0

4.03

Parasitic

n

0

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

n

-1

4.05

Toxic to animals

n

0

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

n

0

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

n

0

4.09

Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle

y

1

4.10

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island)

n

0

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

n

0

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y

1

5.01

Aquatic

n

0

5.02

Grass

n

0

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

n

0

5.04

Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers)

n

0

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

n

0

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y

1

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

n

0

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y

1

6.07

Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1

2+

0

7.01

Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas)

n

0

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y

1

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

y

1

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y

1

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

y

1

8.02

Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr)

8.03

Well controlled by herbicides

8.04

Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire

n

-1

8.05

Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)

Total score:

7

Notes

Reference

1.01

No, this species has not been selected and bred by humans so that the plant differs substantially from its wild relatives.

1.02

Answer not scored because conditions for scoring (1.01 must = y) were not met

1.03

Answer not scored because conditions for scoring (1.01 must = y) were not met

2.01

Not native to tropical or subtropical regions but is grown successfully in these regions. (1)"Native to: acid soils, streambanks and open woodlands in the UK, and central and southern Europe" (2)"Native to oak woodlands, open moorlands, streamsides, and other acid habitats in the British Islands, and in western, central and southern Europe; the Caucasus; and Turkey." (3)"Luzula sylvatica: Zones 5-9. Flowers in zones 4-6" (4)[planted to Georgia and northern parts of Florida] "They are evergreen but brown during cold winters and will happily grow into very hot regions including zone 9, as long as moisture is maintained."

(1)Bluestem nursery. Webpage: Ornamental grasses. Accessed 2008. http://www.bluestem.ca/ornamentalgrass.htm (2)Darke, R. 2004. Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses. Rimber Press, OR (3)King, M. and P. Oudolf. 1998. Gardening with Grasses. Timber Press, OR (4)Schmid, W.G. 2002. An Encyclopedia of Shade Perennials. Timber Press, OR

2.02

Native range well known

2.03

Yes spans a wide elevational range and 5 USDA Hardiness zones (1)"Ascends to 3000 ft. or more" (2)"Foliage evergreen in milder climates, semi-evergreen through zone 6." (3)"Luzula sylvatica: Zones 5-9. Flowers in zones 4-6" (4)"They are evergreen but brown during cold winters and will happily grow into very hot regions including zone 9, as long as moisture is maintained. Hardy to zone 5" (5)"Hardiness: USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F) USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)"

(1)Clapham, A.R., T.G. Tutin and E.F. Warburg. 1962. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge at the University Press Second Edition (2)Darke, R. 2004. Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses. Rimber Press, OR (3)King, M. and P. Oudolf. 1998. Gardening with Grasses. Timber Press, OR (4)Schmid, W.G. 2002. An Encyclopedia of Shade Perennials. Timber Press, OR (5)Whitinger, D. Website: Dave's Garden. Accessed 2008. http://davesgarden.com/

2.04

Native to temperate areas (see comments section of question 2.01 for more information) not known to be naturalized in any subtropical areas (1)""Native. Woods (especially oak) on acid soil and peat and open moorlands, especially on rocky ground near streams. Throughout the British Islands, but most abundant in the west and north … Europe, except the east, Caucasus, Asia Minor. Doubtfully native in South America."

(1)Clapham, A.R., T.G. Tutin and E.F. Warburg. 1962. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge at the University Press Second Edition

2.05

Distributed as an ornamental. Grown as a garden plant in at least 3 different areas (1)British Columbia (2)Washington State (3)California

(1)Bluestem nursery. Webpage: Ornamental grasses. Accessed 2008. http://www.bluestem.ca/ornamentalgrass.htm (2)Lohr, V.L. and C.H. Pearson-Mims. Washington State University Website: Hardy Plants for Water Conservation. Accessed 2008. http://www.wsu.edu/~lohr/wcl/ (3)Webpage: Digging Dog Catalog Index. Accessed 2008. http://www.diggingdog.com/pages2/catalog.php

3.01

Listed as "naturalized" in Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (1). As no other information is available and because species is native to these areas, this is insufficient evidence for naturalization

(1)Luzula sylvatica record in the Global Compendium of Weeds as shown on the Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk Website. Accessed 2008. http://www.hear.org/gcw/species/luzula_sylvatica/

3.02

(1)Luzula sylvatica appears on a List of Prohibited Species. These species have been assessed as posing a high risk of becoming weeds in Australia and are prohibited entry by legislation (2)Listed as an environmental weed "Anon. (1972). Weed Manual. 8th Ed. [2nd revised and extended Edition] Schering AG, Berlin. (environmental weed" In the absence of the original reference, this was considered insufficient to prove the species is an environmental weed. Nonetheless the information is included here to support its likely status as a disturbance weed.

(1)Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. Webpage: Import conditions search. Accessed 2008. http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon/asp/ex_querycontent.asp (2)Luzula sylvatica record in the Global Compendium of Weeds as shown on the Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk Website. Accessed 2008. http://www.hear.org/gcw/species/luzula_sylvatica

3.03

Unkown. Luzula sylvatica appears on a List of Prohibited Species for entry into Australia. However, reasons for this designation could not be found

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. Webpage: Import conditions search. Accessed 2008. http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon/asp/ex_querycontent.asp

3.04

Unknown. Listed as an environmental weed (1)"Anon. (1972). Weed Manual. 8th Ed. [2nd revised and extended Edition] Schering AG, Berlin. "Environmental weed" In the absence of the original reference, this was considered insufficient to prove the species is an environmental weed.

(1)Luzula sylvatica record in the Global Compendium of Weeds as shown on the Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk Website. Accessed 2008. http://www.hear.org/gcw/species/luzula_sylvatica/

3.05

Luzula luzuloides is an environmental weed in New England (1)

(1)Mehrhoff, L. Webpage: The Invasive Plant Atlas of New England. Accessed 2008. http://nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/ipane/aboutproject/about.htm

4.01

No, see description of leaves and stem: (1)"spreading, glossy, broadly linear, gradually tapering to a very acute point, sparsely hairy. Flowering stems 30-80 cm erect, with about 4 stem-lvs, the longest about 5 cm."

(1)Clapham, A.R., T.G. Tutin and E.F. Warburg. 1962. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge at the University Press Second Edition

4.02

No evidence. In fact, shown to grow in natural settings alongside a number of other species (1)

(1)Rodwell, J.S. 1991. British Plant Communities: Grasslands and Montane Communities. Volume 3. Nature Conservancy Council. Cambridge University Press

4.03

Genus not parasitic (1)

(1)USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service Staff. 2008. Parasitic Plant Genera List

4.04

(1)"This species is very palatable to sheep so the absence and scarcity of Luzula sylvatica in the other woodlands may be because they have been more heavily grazed by sheep in recent years." (2)"around the more accessible fringes ... and over slopes with just light cropping from stock or deer, reduced covers of the palatable L. sylvatica and V. myrtillus, in such grassier stands, can represent a transition to surrounding swards."

(1)Botanical Society of the British Isles. 1967-1969. Proceedings of the Botanical Society of the British Isles Volume 7 (2)Rodwell, J.S. 1991. British Plant Communities: Grasslands and Montane Communities. Volume 3. Nature Conservancy Council. Cambridge University Press

4.05

(1)"The results suggest that B. oleracea, C angustifolium, L perenne, P. menziesii, J. effusus, L. sylvatica and A. pseudoplatanus from Scotland are more than 70% degradable and are useful as animal feeds."

(1)Odeyinka, S.M. 2007. Nutritive evaluation-of some trees and browse species from Scotland. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 77(12): 1321-1325

4.06

(1)"Pests/Diseases: Insect- and disease-free."

(1)Lohr, V.L. and C.H. Pearson-Mims. Washington State University Website: Hardy Plants for Water Conservation. Accessed 2008. http://www.wsu.edu/~lohr/wcl/

4.07

Unknown

4.08

Preference for shade and (1)"rocky ground near streams" peat and open moorlands, suggests it grows in areas not prone to fire (2)"common in wet pastures. It is native in bogs, marshes, damp grassland and on the margins of rivers and ponds throughout Britain."

(1)Rodwell, J.S. 1991. British Plant Communities: Grasslands and Montane Communities. Volume 3. Nature Conservancy Council. Cambridge University Press (2)Webpage: Rushes- Weed information. Accessed 2008. http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=65

4.09

(1)"Luzula is primarily used as an ornamental ground cover for shady areas. It is also at home in the natural woodland setting, combining well with other shade loving Perennials and ferns. This hardy rush can also grow under the shade of large trees... Ideal conditions: part shade to full shade … Suggested uses: groundcover in the shade" (2)"The largest and finest wood-rush for groundcover use, especially in shaded settings." (3)[suited to] "dry shade beneath trees."

(1)Bluestem nursery. Webpage: Ornamental grasses. Accessed 2008. http://www.bluestem.ca/ornamentalgrass.htm (2)Darke, R. 2004. Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses. Rimber Press, OR (3)King, M. and P. Oudolf. 1998. Gardening with Grasses. Timber Press, OR

4.10

(1)"Ideal conditions: part shade to full shade; moist fertile soil but tolerant of moderately dry soil; prefers acid soil" (2)"Native. Woods (especially Oak) on acid soil and peat and open moorlands especially on rocky ground near streams." (3)Listed among "Ornamental Grasses for Clay Soils" and "Ornamental Grasses for Dry Soils" "Easy to grow on most soils, including heavy clays." (4)"The progressive cover decrease of some species within the forest in the direction of the clearcut indicates that they do not tolerate small microclimatic changes. It is likely that these species need particular forest microclimatic conditions as we highlighted in a previous experiment for Dryopteris dilatata and Luzula sylvatica which were found to be restricted to those sites with a high level of air humidity"

(1)Bluestem nursery. Webpage: Ornamental grasses. Accessed 2008. http://www.bluestem.ca/ornamentalgrass.htm (2)Clapham, A.R., T.G. Tutin and E.F. Warburg. 1962. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge at the University Press Second Edition (3)Darke, R. 2004. Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses. Rimber Press, OR (4)Godefroid, S., S. Rucquoij and N. Koedam. 2005. To what extent do forest herbs recover after clearcutting in beech forest? Forest Ecology and Management 210: 39–53

4.11

No evidence. Species is a sedge not a vine or liana.

4.12

(1)"A tall robust perennial forming bright green mats or tussocks" (2)"Forms large tussocks and spreads strongly by rhizomes, eventually making a virtually weed-proof mass." (3)"A steadily spreading evergreen plant that will grow almost anywhere and produces one of the most weed-proof ground covers"

(1)Clapham, A.R., T.G. Tutin and E.F. Warburg. 1962. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge at the University Press Second Edition (2)Darke, R. 2004. Pocket Note Ref: Guide to Ornamental Grasses. Rimber Press, OR (3)King, M. and P. Oudolf. 1998. Gardening with Grasses. Timber Press, OR

5.01

Terrestrial

5.02

Not Poaceae

5.03

No. In the family Juncaceae (1)

(1)Clapham, A.R., T.G. Tutin and E.F. Warburg. 1962. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge at the University Press Second Edition

5.04

Rhizomes present but not tubers, corms or bulbs.

6.01

(1)"Luzula sylvatica is an occasional, and sometimes locally abundant, plant in a variety of upland grasslands and heaths ... It is generally the most abundant plant here, occasionally an overwhelming dominant in swards"

(1)Rodwell, J.S. 1991. British Plant Communities: Grasslands and Montane Communities. Volume 3. Nature Conservancy Council. Cambridge University Press

6.02

(1)"It will self-sow if you don't remove the seedheads, but that is so much the better." (2)"Maintenance: Old flowers may be cut off after bloom. If the seed stalks are left on the plant, they will provide interesting winter appearance and a source of new plants."

(1)Bluestem nursery. Webpage: Ornamental grasses. Accessed 2008. http://www.bluestem.ca/ornamentalgrass.htm (2)Lohr, V.L. and C.H. Pearson-Mims. Washington State University Website: Hardy Plants for Water Conservation. Accessed 2008. http://www.wsu.edu/~lohr/wcl/

6.03

Unknown

6.04

Unknown

6.05

"Many species of the otherwise anemophilous genus Luzula (Juncaceae) such as L. lutea, L. nivea and L. lactea produce brilliantly coloured flowers with brightly coloured pseudo-nectaries; in these species pollen is dispersed by both insects and the wind"

Cox, P.A. and P.J. Grubb. 1991. Abiotic Pollination: An Evolutionary Escape for Animal-Pollinated Angiosperms [and Discussion]. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences 333(1267): 217-224

6.06

(1)"with short ascending rootstock and numerous stolons" (2)"Forms large tussocks and spreads strongly by rhizomes, eventually making a virtually weed-proof mass." (3)"It has a stout, far-creeping rhizome"

(1)Clapham, A.R., T.G. Tutin and E.F. Warburg. 1962. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge at the University Press Second Edition (2)Darke, R. 2004. Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses. Rimber Press, OR (3)Webpage: Rushes- Weed information. Accessed 2008. http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=65

6.07

2+ years: (1)"it was found that species such as Dryopteris dilatata and Luzula sylvatica are not able to survive a low level of air humidity; forest-floor herbs have slow growth and reproduction rates, thus population densities increase slowly

(1)Godefroid, S., S. Rucquoij and N. Koedam. 2005. To what extent do forest herbs recover after clearcutting in beech forest? Forest Ecology and Management 210: 39–53

7.01

Grown as an ornamental, and thus, not likely to be grown in heavily trafficked areas

7.02

Cultivated for its attractive qualities. The following description is typical (1)"These graceful rushes earn their name for the way a soft, downy hair, which covers the margins of each blade, catches and holds dew. As the morning light strikes the moistened leaves, they glisten. The handsome leafage vitalizes a garden setting with its textural infill"

(1)Webpage: Digging Dog Catalog Index. Accessed 2008. http://www.diggingdog.com/pages2/catalog.php

7.03

Yes, human activity has resulted in unintentional dispersal of propagules."This species has earlier been found at fifteen different localities in Sweden, but with the possible exception of the Olasgard occurrence in southern Halland, all other ones have either been unintentionally introduced with exotic grass-seed or deliberately planted and escaped from cultivation."

Ljungstrand, E. 2001. Luzula sylvatica found on mount Kullaberg in Skane, Sweden. Botaniska Notiser 134(1): 6-14

7.04

Possibly, at least one other species of Luzula may be wind-pollinated "The seeds of Luzula campestris, which occupies open habitats, develop a rather dry appendage, so they are less attractive to ants and in consequence, despite the plant's low growth, wind may play a significant part in their dispersal."

Salisbury, E. 1976. Seed Output and the Efficacy of Dispersal by Wind. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 192(1108): 323-329

7.05

Several species of Luzula are known to be buoyant (1). (2)Luzula spp. Found on driftwood (3)Further, L. sylvactica is strongly associated with wet habitats such as streambanks and waterways

(1)Andersson, E., C. Nilssonl and M.E. Johansson. 2000. Plant dispersal in boreal rivers and its relation to the diversity of riparian flora. Journal of Biogeography 27: 1095-1106 (2)Lubbock, J. 1892. A Contribution to Our Knowledge of Seedlings. D. Appleton and Company, New York, NY (3)P. Curry and F.M. Slater. 1986. A Classification of River Corridor Vegetation from Four Catchments in Wales. Journal of Biogeography 13(2): 119-132

7.06

Unknown

7.07

Possible. "If we now consider the Luzulas, in this same family, their seeds bear an oily appendage, which in some species is large, and in consequence they are sought for and dispersed by ants. After the eliasomes are consumed the ants tend to abandon the seeds most often in situations that are not unfavourable to survival … In contrast we may note the absence of such a relationship in the species of Luzula which are dispersed wholly, or mainly, by ants."

Salisbury, E. 1976. Seed Output and the Efficacy of Dispersal by Wind. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 192(1108): 323-329

7.08

Unknown

8.01

(1)"Approximately 700 seeds per gram"

(1)B & T World Seeds. Webpage: B & T World Seeds Facts. Accessed 2008. http://www.b-and-t-world-seeds.com/letters.htm

8.02

Possibly "Halpern et al. (1999) identified the seed banks in closed-canopy forests of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, finding L. parviflora to be an important component, whereas McGraw et al. (1991) extracted buried seeds from Alaskan tundra and found L. Parviflora to comprise one of the two, oldest, seed bank species identified, remaining viable for at least 200 years or more."

Penskar, M.R. and S.R. Crispin. 2008. Special Plant Abstract for Luzula parviflora (small-flowered wood rush). Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Lansing, MI. 4 pp.

8.03

Unknown

8.04

(1)Relatively intolerant of disturbances caused by clearcutting (2)In Brussels Belgium, L. sylvatica benefited greatly from fencing, doubling in % cover over 5 years

(1)Godefroid, S., S. Rucquoij and N. Koedam. 2005. To what extent do forest herbs recover after clearcutting in beech forest? Forest Ecology and Management 210: 39–53 (2)Godefroid, S., W. Massant, G. Le Weyembergh and N. Koedam. 2003. Impact of Fencing on the Recovery of the Ground Flora on Heavily Eroded Slopes of a Deciduous Forest. Environmental Management 32(1): 62-76

8.05