A Sphaerophysa salsula (Pall.) DC. Austrian pcawecd[Phaca salsula Pall.; Swainsona salsula (Pall.) Taubert in Engl. & Prantl]A Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze witchweed[Buchnera asiatica L.; S. ham Lour.]B Symphvtum asperum Lepechin rough comfrey[S. armeniacum Bucknall]C Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski medusahead[Elymus caput-medusae L.; Hordeum caput-meduscie (L.) Crosson & Dur<strong>and</strong>;Cuviera caput-medusae (L.) Simk. Taeniatherum asperum (Simk.) Nevski; T. caput-medusae subsp.asperum (Simk.) Melderis; Taeniatherum crinitum (Schreb.) Nevski var. caput-medusae (L.) Wip ff.]A Tagetes minuta L. wild marigold[T. bonariensis Pers.; T gl<strong>and</strong>uliPra Schrank; T. gl<strong>and</strong>ulosa Link; T. porophyllum Veil.]B Tamarix chinensis Lour. Chinese tamarisk[T. caspica Hort. Gall. Ex Dippel; T. gallica Thunb.; T japonica Hort. Ex Dippel]B Tamarix gallica L. - French tamarisk[T. canariensis Willd.; T. ehrenbergii Presl ex Bunge; T. elegans Spach; T. epacroides Sm.; T. evermanniPresl. Ex Ledeb.; T. indica Willd.; T. les.singli presl. Ex Bunge; T. libanotica Hort. Ex K.Koch; P munniJeraKotschy ex Bunge; T. narbonensis Garsault; T nilotica (Ehrenb.) Bunge; T. paltrestina Bertol.; T palla.5iiDesv.; T paniculata Stev. Ex DC.; P pent<strong>and</strong>ra Pall.; T. senegalensis DC.; T. tetr<strong>and</strong>ra Gucbh. Ex Bunge]B Tamarix parviflora DC. smallflowcr tamarisk[T. cretica Bunge; T. gallica Sieber ex Nyman; T. pent<strong>and</strong>ra Hampe. Ex Bunge; T. peueri Presl ex Bunge;B Tamarix ramostssitna Ledeb. saltcedar[sometimes included in T. gallica s.I.]C Tribulus terrestris L. puncturevineB Ulex europaeus L., non Brotero (1804), nee Savi gorse[U. e. ssp. borealis Rothm.; U. e. ssp. /a/ebructeurus (Mariz.) Rothm.]H Vallisneria app. eelgrassB Viscum album L. European mistletoe[including V. abietis (Wiesb.) Fritsch.; V. austriacurn Wiesb.; V. artscriactun var. abietis Wiesb.;V. album ssp. abietis (Wiesb.) Abram.; V. a. ssp. meridianum (Danser) Long]A Zostera japonica Ascher & Graebner Japanese eclgrass[Nanozostera japonica (Asch. & Graebn.) P. Toml & U. Posl.]A Zygophyllum fabago L. Syrian beancaper[Z. f var. brachycarpum auct. non Boiss,]11ts nn100
Encycloweediarage r orEncycloweediaEneyeloweedia: Weed RatingsA noxious weed is a plant that has been defined as a pest by law or regulation. Both California <strong>and</strong> the U.S government maintainlists of plants that are considered threats to the well being of the state or the country. The two lists differ significantly.In California, biologists of the California Department of Food <strong>and</strong> Agriculture recommend plants for listing, after consultation withoutside experts <strong>and</strong> the Agricultural Commissioners of California's counties (CACs). If a plant is found to probably be"troublesome, aggressive, intrusive, detrimental, or destructive to agriculture, silviculture, or important native species, <strong>and</strong> difficultto control or eradicate", the Department will designate the plant as a noxious weed.At the time that CDFA lists a species, it also receives a rating of A, B, C, D, or Q. These ratings reflect CDFA's view of thestatewide importance of the pest, the likelihood that eradication or control efforts would be successful, <strong>and</strong> the present distributionof the pest within the state. The ratings are not laws, but are policy guidelines that indicate the most appropriate action to takeagainst a pest under general circumstances. Local conditions may dictate more stringent actions at the discretion of the CAC, <strong>and</strong>the rating may change as circumstances change.The precise policy language is given below. This system has been in place since at least 1977, <strong>and</strong> revised in May 2009. Theterm "commissioners" refers to the County Agricultural Commissioners.ACTION ORIENTED RATING SYSTEi .To advise commissioners as to the Department's policy regarding any pest action.DEFINITIONSA pest of known economic or environmental detriment <strong>and</strong> is either not known to be established in California or it is present in alimited distribution that allows for the possibility of eradication or successful containment. A-rated pests are prohibited fromentering the state because, by virtue of their rating, they have been placed on the of Plant Health <strong>and</strong> Pest Prevention ServicesDirector's list of organisms "detrimental to agriculture" in accordance with the FAC Sections 5261 <strong>and</strong> 6461. The only exception isfor organisms accompanied by an approved CDFA or USDA live organism permit for contained exhibit or research purposes. Iffound entering or established in the state, A-rated pests are subject to state (or commissioner when acting as a state agent)enforced action involving eradication, quarantine regulation, containment, rejection, or other holding action."B"An pest of known economic or environmental detriment <strong>and</strong>, if present in California, it is of limited distribution. B-rated pests areeligible to enter the state if the receiving county has agreed to accept them. If found in the state, they are subject to state endorsedholding action <strong>and</strong> eradication only to provide for containment, as when found in a nursery. At the discretion of the individualcounty agricultural commissioner they are subject to eradication, containment, suppression, control, or other holding action."C"A pest of known economic or environmental detriment <strong>and</strong>, if present in California, it is usually widespread. C-rated organisms areeligible to enter the state as long as the commodities with which they are associated conform to pest cleanliness st<strong>and</strong>ards whenfound in nursery stock shipments. If found in the state, they are subject to regulations designed to retard spread or to suppress atthe discretion of the individual county agricultural commissioner. There is no state enforced action other than providing for pestcleanliness.An organism or disorder suspected to be of economic or environmental detriment, but whose status is uncertain because ofincomplete identification or inadequate information.„ D„An organism known to be of little or no economic or environmental detriment, to have an extremely low likelihood of weediness, oris known to be a parasite or predator. There is no state enforced action.ICopyright (.9.) 2010 State of Californiahttp://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phppsfipc/encycloweedia/winfo weedratings.htm 10104010