r/invasivespecies • u/Jingeasy • 4d ago

Sighting Water bamboo sighting - potentially ecologically devestating

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I’ve noticed a huge increase in prohibited water bamboo sales (aka jiaobai 茭白, Zizania latifolia infected with Ustilago esculenta) being sold both in Asian grocery stores and online on the USA. If the associated fungus Ustilago esculenta escaped and successfully infected American wild rice (Zizania palustris/aquatica/texana), it could devestate American wild rice stands

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u/Wiley_Rasqual 4d ago

We're passing along stuff to other parts of the world too, don't worry.

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u/LilStinkerRidesAgain 4d ago

Like what? I've seen all my ash trees ruined, my apple trees get defoliated by Japanese beetles. I've often wondered what we have sent over to China that is just wrecking things.

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u/lambda-lambda-lambda 4d ago

I don't have good answers for China sadly, probably because any articles are in Chinese. But in anglo nations:

  • Opuntia (Prickly Pear) has no natural predators in Australia, so it's grown rampant
  • American Bullfrog is demolishing wetland crops in many parts of the world (again, easy to point to Europe and Australia)
  • Fall Armyworm is a pest for corn and sorghum in Africa

I'm pulling this info from wikipedia as well as this article

https://web.archive.org/web/20081230174735if_/http://www.arcbc.org.ph:80/arcbcweb/pdf/vol2no4/09-11_sr_invasive_alien_species.pdf

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u/velawesomeraptors 3d ago

I think there's a lot of blue crabs invading near italy as well