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Yerba de Jicotea (Ludwigia erecta) Ecological Risk Screening Summary

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, July 2021 Revised, July 2021

Web Version, 8/9/2021 Organism Type: Plant Overall Risk Assessment Category: Uncertain

Photo: Dr. Alexey Yakovlev. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic. Available: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ludwigia_erecta_(Onagraceae)_(29278474563).jpg. (July 2021).

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1 Native Range and Status in the United States Native Range From POWO (2021): “Native to: Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Florida, French Guiana, Galápagos, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mississippi, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Is.” From Fern (2019): “S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean; SE North America.” Status in the United States According to USDA, NRCS (2021), Ludwigia erecta is native to Florida, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. From Makings et al (2011): “Ludwigia erecta was collected during the 27 September 2010 excursion to the Tempe Towne Lake bottom [Arizona].” “Ludwigia erecta was "discovered" and "extirpated" within two weeks time from Tempe Towne Lake, but it's reasonable to assume it will persist. There are several plants upstream of the Lake that were vouchered on a botanical visit 24 November 2010. Those that remain are afforded a limited, yet suitable habitat in the shallows of the Salt River, and seeds from the Tempe Towne Lake population may have been washed downstream.” Ludwigia erecta was not found for sale by online aquarium retailers. Means of Introductions in the United States No nonnative populations in the United States were found. Remarks Both the current valid name, Ludwigia erecta, and the original valid name, Jussiaea erecta, were used to conduct literature searches for this assessment.

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2 Biology and Ecology Taxonomic Hierarchy and Taxonomic Standing According to WFO (2021), Ludwigia erecta (L.) H.Hara is the current valid name for this species. From ITIS (2021): Kingdom Plantae Subkingdom Viridiplantae Infrakingdom Streptophyta Superdivision Embryophyta

Division Tracheophyta Subdivision Spermatophytina Class Magnoliopsida Superorder Rosanae

Order Myrtales Family Onagraceae Genus Ludwigia Species Ludwigia erecta (L.) H. Hara

Size, Weight, and Age Range From POWO (2021): “Erect herb to 3 m tall, […]” From Fern (2019): “Ludwigia erecta is an erect, much-branched, annual plant, […] growing 40 - 300cm tall [Protabase, No Date; Missouri Botanical Garden 1959].” Environment From Fern (2019): “Ditches and wet places in Panama [Missouri Botanical Gardens 1959]. In Africa it is found naturalized on river banks and in other wet localities, as well as on moist wasteland, […]” Climate From Fern (2019): “In Africa it is found […] at elevations up to 1,200 metres [Protabase, No Date].”

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Distribution Outside the United States Native From POWO (2021): “Native to: Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, […] French Guiana, Galápagos, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, […] Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, […] Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Is.” From Fern (2019): “S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean; […].” Introduced From POWO (2021): “Introduced into: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Cameroon, Central African [Republic], Chad, Comoros, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Réunion, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe” From Fern (2019): “A widespread and locally common weed in Africa [Protabase, No Date].” From Hsu et al. (2010): “It is naturalized to Taiwan in wet lands, such as banks of ponds and wet sandy ditches in the central region of the island.” According to Paul and Kumar (2014), Ludwigia erecta has been documented in the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India. Means of Introduction Outside the United States No information on the means of introduction was found.

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Short Description From Hsu et al. (2010): “Erect glabrous herbs up to 3m tall. Stems reddish, 4-6-angled from the decurrent leaf-bases. Stipules 2, minute. Leaves alternate, narrowly lanceolate to elliptical, 5-10 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, acute at tip and base, with 15-20 veins on each side of midrib, entire, petioles 2-10 mm long and continuing on the stem as decurrent base. Flowers solitary in upper axils, subsessile. Sepals 4, lanceolate, 4-5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, acuminate at tip. Petals 4, elliptical or obovate, yellow, 3-5 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, acute at tip. Stamens 8, subequal, filaments about 1.5 mm long, light yellow. Ovary 4-cell, 5-7 mm long, about 1 mm thick, 4-angled, obconic, style short, 1 mm long, stigma globose, yellow. Capsule, 1.5-2.5 cm long, about 3 mm thick, 4-angled. Seeds pluriseriate in each locule of the capsule, free, elongate-ovoid, 0.3-0.5 mm long, brown.” “It is an erect annual herb with acute petals at apex and 8 stamens. This species is similar to L. hyssopifolia but easily distinguishable from the latter by 4-angled oblanceolate-obconic capsulesand [sic] free seeds. Ludwigia hyssopifolia has subterete capsules, and seeds in upper portion of the capsule free, but embeded in endocarp in lower part of the capsule.” Biology From Rocha and Melo (2020): “In Paraíba State [Brazil] the species may be found on the banks of lakes, dams, rivers, close to waterfalls or on humid sites, associated with Caatinga or the Atlantic Rainforest. Flowering and fructification occur between March and July and between December and January.” Human Uses From Elhaj et al. (2021): “Massage lotions are prepared from the whole plant and used in traditional medicine as an antipyretic drug [El-Ghazali et al. 1986].” “This was the first study conducted to evaluate the anti-Giardia, antimalarial, cytotoxic and antioxidant potential of L. erecta. The results showed that the different parts of the plant were not toxic and exerted different biological activities. Furthermore, the highest antibacterial activity with the best sensitivity against E. coli and the only organ to possess antiproliferative activity against the MDA-MB231 cell line was the flower. In addition, the root displayed the highest anti-Giardial activity. Besides, all parts exerted potent free-radical–scavenging activity, with the fruit showing the highest capacity. Thus, L. erecta could be a natural source for bioactive agents, although further scientific research is needed to determine the active molecules.” From Fern (2019): “They are cooked to make a sauce for maize and porridge [Protabase, No Date] Occasionally they are eaten as a cooked vegetable [Protabase, No Date].”

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“A bath made with the boiled plants is given to relieve fever caused by malaria [Protabase, No Date]. An infusion of the leaves is used for treating weak but rapid heart rate, particularly when combined with the leaves of Annona muricata [DeFilipps et al. 2004]. The leaves are boiled, and the liquid used to make a porridge with oatmeal, plantain, flour or sago flour then used to treat thrush [DeFilipps et al. 2004].” Diseases According to Poelen et al. (2014), Ludwigia erecta is a host of Pseudocercospora jussiaeae. Threat to Humans No information on threat to humans was found.

3 Impacts of Introductions No actual documented impacts of introduction were found. The information provided below may indicate possible impacts of introduction. From Fern (2019): “A widespread and locally common weed in Africa [Protabase, No Date].” From Oziegbe and Faluyi (2010): “[…] L. erecta and L. octovalvis are serious weeds of rice padis and other cultivated swamp lands in Sierra leone, Nigeria, Gambia and Ghana; […]

4 History of Invasiveness The history of invasiveness is classified as Data Deficient. Ludwigia erecta has been introduced and established in Africa and Asia, however very limited information is available on the introductions. Fern (2019) and Oziegbe and Faluyi (2010) state that this species is a weed in Africa, however no actual documented impacts of introduction could be found. L. erecta has also been found in Arizona, outside of its native range in the contiguous United States. This species is not found for sale through the aquarium trade, nor is it found on any State or Federal invasive species list in the United States.

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5 Global Distribution

Figure 1. Known global distribution of Ludwigia erecta. Observations are reported from North, Central, and South America, Caribbean, Africa, Taiwan, and Papua New Guinea. Map from GBIF Secretariat (2021). Locations in Papua New Guinea and North Carolina, United States were not included in the climate match as no literature was found to support the presence of the species in those locations. The location of the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in India (Paul and Kumar 2014) was used to select source points for the climate match.

6 Distribution Within the United States

Figure 2. Known distribution of Ludwigia erecta in the United States. Map from BISON (2021). Locations are found in Florida, Mississippi, Arizona, and Puerto Rico.

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Ludwigia erecta has been reported from the U.S. Virgin islands but no georeferenced observations were available for this area.

7 Climate Matching Summary of Climate Matching Analysis Most of the climate match for Ludwigia erecta in the southern contiguous United States is medium to high. High match is found throughout nearly all of the Southeast, spanning along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida, and north along the Atlantic Coast to Virginia. Another area of high match is found centered in southern Arizona. This area of high match includes the native range of Florida and Mississippi. Medium match is primarily found in the Southwest and central Texas, with a small area additionally found around the Puget Sound in Washington. Areas of low match are found in the Northeast, Midwest, and throughout a majority of the West. The overall Climate 6 score (Sanders et al. 2018; 16 climate variables; Euclidean distance) for the contiguous United States was 0.211, high. (Scores greater than or equal to 0.103 are classified as high.) The following States had high individual Climate 6 scores: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The following States had medium individual Climate 6 scores: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, and Oklahoma. All remaining States had low individual scores.

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Figure 3. RAMP (Sanders et al. 2018) source map showing weather stations selected as source locations (red; United States, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Dominica, Barbados, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Curacao, Galapagos Islands, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Madagascar, India, and Taiwan) and non-source locations (gray) for Ludwigia erecta climate matching. Source locations from Paul and Kumar (2014), BISON (2021), and GBIF Secretariat (2021). Selected source locations are within 100 km of one or more species occurrences, and do not necessarily represent the locations of occurrences themselves.

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Figure 4. Map of RAMP (Sanders et al. 2018) climate matches for Ludwigia erecta in the contiguous United States based on source locations reported by Paul and Kumar (2014), BISON (2021), and GBIF Secretariat (2021). Counts of climate match scores are tabulated on the left. 0/Blue = Lowest match, 10/Red = Highest match. The High, Medium, and Low Climate match Categories are based on the following table:

Climate 6: (Count of target points with climate scores 6-10)/ (Count of all target points)

Overall Climate Match Category

0.000≤X≤0.005 Low 0.005<X<0.103 Medium ≥0.103 High

8 Certainty of Assessment Limited information is available on the biology and ecology of Ludwigia erecta. This species has been widely introduced to Africa as well as Taiwan and India, however no information was found to determine actual impacts of introduction. The certainty of this assessment is Low.

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9 Risk Assessment Summary of Risk to the Contiguous United States Ludwigia erecta,Yerba de Jicotea, is a wetland and emergent aquatic plant native to the Southeast United States, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This species has been widely introduced to Africa where it has become naturalized and is used in cooking and for medicinal purposes. L. erecta has been introduced to Taiwan and India. In the contiguous United States, L. erecta has been found in Arizona, which is outside of its known native range in Florida and Mississippi. No information on actual documented impacts of introduction was found, although it is described as a weed in Africa. The history of invasiveness is classified as Data Deficient. The overall climate match category for the contiguous United States was High, with a high match being found throughout the Southeast, including areas where it is native (Florida and Mississippi) and in southern Arizona. The certainty of this assessment is Low due to limited available information on the biology and impacts of introduction for this species. The overall risk assessment category for Ludwigia erecta is Uncertain. Assessment Elements

• History of Invasiveness (Sec. 4): Data Deficient • Overall Climate Match Category (Sec. 7): High • Certainty of Assessment (Sec. 8): Low • Remarks, Important additional information: No additional information • Overall Risk Assessment Category: Uncertain

10 Literature Cited Note: The following references were accessed for this ERSS. References cited within quoted text but not accessed are included below in Section 11. BISON. 2021. Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation. U.S. Geological Survey. Available:

https://bison.usgs.gov (July 2021). Elhaj MK, Yagi SM, Qahtan AA, Alshameri A, Hodhod M, Almunqedhi B, Kordofani M, Ali

AMA, Gaafar A-RZ. 2021. Screening of phytochemicals and bioactivities of different parts of Ludwigia erecta (L.) H. Hara. Biotechnology and Biotechnological Equipment 35:291–297.

Fern K. 2019. Tropical Plants Database: Ludwigia erecta. Useful Tropical Plants. Available:

http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ludwigia+erecta (July 2021). GBIF Secretariat. 2021. GBIF backbone taxonomy: Ludwigia erecta (L.) Hara. Copenhagen:

Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Available: https://www.gbif.org/species/5420986 (July 2021).

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Hsu T-W, Peng C-I, Chiang T-Y, Huang C-C. 2010. Three newly naturalized species of the genus Ludwigia (Onagraceae) to Taiwan. Taiwan Journal of Biodiversity 12(3):303–308.

[ITIS] Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 2021. Ludwigia erecta (L.) H. Hara. Reston,

Virginia: Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Available: https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=27344#null (July 2021).

Makings E, Butler L, Chew M, Stromberg J. 2011. Noteworthy collections from Tempe Towne

Lake riverbed. Desert Plants 27:3–10. Oziegbe M, Faluyi JO. 2010. Effect of Acicnemis variegatus Fairmaire (Curculionidae) on some

Ludwigia spp. in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences 4(6):2026–2034.

Paul TK, Kumar A. 2014. A sketch on the vegetation and its components of Mahananda Wildlife

Sanctuary, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India. Pleione 8(2):320–330. Poelen JH, Simons JD, Mungall CJ. 2014. Global Biotic Interactions: an open infrastructure to

share and analyze species-interaction datasets. Ecological Informatics 24:148–159. [POWO] Plants of the World Online. 2021. Ludwigia erecta (L.) H.Hara. London: Royal Botanic

Gardens, Kew. Available: http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:144351-2 (July 2021).

Rocha AM, Melo JIM de. 2020. Diversity and distribution of Ludwigia (Onagraceae) in Paraíba

State, Northeastern Brazil. European Journal of Taxonomy 639:1–24. Sanders S, Castiglione C, Hoff M. 2018. Risk Assessment Mapping Program: RAMP. Version

3.1. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. USDA, NRCS. 2021. Ludwigia erecta (L.) H. Hara. The PLANTS database. Greensboro, North

Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Available: https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=LUER (July 2021).

[WFO] World Flora Online. 2021. World Flora Online— a project of the World Flora Online

Consortium. Available: http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000443162 (July 2021).

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11 Literature Cited in Quoted Material Note: The following references are cited within quoted text within this ERSS, but were not accessed for its preparation. They are included here to provide the reader with more information. DeFilipps RA, Maina SL, Crepin J. 2004. Medicinal plants of the Guianas. Smithsonian

Museum. [Source material did not give full citation for this reference.] El-Ghazali GE, El-Tohami MS, El-Egami AA. 1986. Medicinal plants of the Sudan. Sudan:

National Centre for Research, Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Research Institute. Missouri Botanical Garden. 1959. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Volume 46. St.

Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden. [Source material did not give full citation for this reference.]

Protabase. No Date. Plant resources of tropical Africa. Available: www.prota.org. [Source

material did not give full citation for this reference.]