Burmese Python ¢‘˜—Ȱ–˜•ž›žœȰ‹’Ÿ’ĴŠžœ INVASIVE

Organism Role Cards (30 species)

air potato Dioscorea bulbifera INVASIVE

air potato • Air potato is a terrestrial climbing vine with aĴractive heartȬshape leavesǯ • Air potato is native to tropical Asia an nonȬnative an invasive in loriaǯ • ew plants sprot rom potatoȬlie blbils which are on between the stem an the leaǯ he plant spreas when the blbils all to the gronǯ n aitionǰ large tbers grow nergron an store ntrients or the plantǯ • he air potato is not nown to be eaten b¢ an¢ native animalsǰ althogh a beetle has been importe or biological control prposesǯ t eats the leaves o air potato vinesǯ Air potato tbers are sall¢ biĴer an UF/IFAS CAIP UF/IFAS poisonosǯ PROS CONS • his plant tens to invae open areas or ȃistrbeȄ lanǯ • t can grow p to eight inches a a¢ǯ let nmanageǰ it can icl¢ grow over garensǰ treesǰ an even bilingsǰ causing them to be completel¢ covereǯ • eople lie to grow this plant because o the preĴ¢ tropicalȬlooing leavesǯ

American alligator Alligator mississippiensis NATIVE

American alligator • Alligators are sometimes calle ȃliving ossilsȄ because their species has survive on earth or ŘŖŖ million ¢earsǯ • Alligators are top preators in the oo chainǯ he¢ eat ęshǰ birsǰ turtlesǰ snaesǰ an amphibiansǯ • he American alligator is native to the outheastern ǯǯ t resies almost e¡clusivel¢ in reshwater riversǰ laesǰ swampsǰ an marshesǯ • A mother alligator eens the nest rom preators an helps her hatchlings get to the water once the¢ are bornǯ he will provie protection or about a ¢earǰ i the oěspring sta¢ in the areaǯ

UF/IFAS photo by Tom Wright Tom photo by UF/IFAS • Alligator meat is eibleǰ especiall¢ meat rom the tail PROS CONS sectionǯ • n loriaǰ some alligators are grown on armsǯ eat an proucts mae rom their hie ǻleather walletsǰ beltsǰ bootsǰ etcǯǼ generate about ǞŗŜ million each ¢earǯ he arms help protect wil alligator populationsǯ • he largest alligator ever recore in loria was ŗŝ eet ś inches ǻśǯř metersǼǰ accoring to the verglaes ational ar websiteǯ

Burmese python ¢ȱȱĴ INVASIVE

Burmese python • he urmese p¢thon is a giant nonȬvenomous constrictor snae that can grow up to ŘŖŖ pouns an over ŘŖ eet longǯ t is not native to loria an is now spreaing rapil¢ in the wilǯ • urmese p¢thons are rom nia to lower hinaǰ the ala¢ eninsulaǰ an islans o the ast niesǯ • he¢ are e¡cellent swimmers an climbers an hunt in both auatic an terrestrial environmentsǯ n the verglaesǰ p¢thons ee on native alligatorsǰ ęshǰ eer an waing birs ǻlimpins an white ibisesǼǯ he¢ have also been oun in the loria e¢s pre¢ing on enangere e¢ argo wooratsǯ • othing pre¢s on urmese p¢thonsǰ e¡cept the Skip Snow, Bugwood 5369653 Skip Snow, occasional large alligatorǯ ¢thon eggs are sometimes eaten b¢ other animalsǯ PROS CONS • urmese p¢thons compete for space an foo with native snaes lie the eastern iamonbac an the eastern inigoǯ • ¢thons are no longer allowe as petsǯ oweverǰ loriians can now hunt p¢thons in illife anagement Areas if the¢ obtain a permitǯ • cientists preict that urmese p¢thons coul survive throughout loriaǯ

Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis NATIVE

Canadian waterweed • anaian waterwee is a submerse plantǯ t lives entirel¢ unerwater with the e¡ception of small white Ěowers that bloom at the surface an are aĴache to the plant b¢ elicate stalsǯ • t provies habitat for man¢ auatic insects an provies cover for ¢oung ęshǰ frogsǰ an turtlesǯ aterfowl ǻespeciall¢ ucsǼǰ beaverǰ an musrat eat this plantǯ • n parts of uropeǰ Australiaǰ Africaǰ Asiaǰ an ew ealanǰ waterwee has create a signięcant problem UF/IFAS photo by William Haller UF/IFAS an is now consiere a no¡ious weeǯ PROS CONS • aterwee loos similar to h¢rilla an other invasive plants sol in the auarium traeǯ ecause it is nonȬ invasive in loriaǰ it is a goo substitute for these plantsǯ • t is economicall¢ important as an auarium plantǯ oweverǰ it is consiere an invasive species in regon an is illegal to sell thereǯ

cat-tails Typha species NATIVE

• atȬtails are among the most common of all auatic cat-tails an wetlan plants an provie ieal habitat for man¢ birsǰ frogsǰ an insectsǯ • everal parts of the plant can be eaten incluing the unergroun stems an the leaf baseǯ he Ěower spie can even be eaten lie corn on the cobǯ hese plants were a common foo source for the ative Americansǯ • arl¢ Americans also use the absorbent Ěuě from the catȬtail see heas for iapersǯ • oa¢ǰ scientists are e¡perimenting with catȬtail see Ěuě to see if it can UF/IFAS CAIP UF/IFAS be use in cleaning up oil spillsǯ • atȬtails also are being consiere as PROS CONS a cropǯ • ometimes catȬtails are unpopular because the¢ can grow lie wees in laes or stormwater retention ponsǯ his happens mostl¢ in urban laes where there are a lot of e¡tra nutrients from rainwater runoě or in areas where the lan has been isturbeǯ • uring long perios of r¢ weatherǰ catȬtails can be an important foo for caĴle that are luc¢ enough to have access to these plants growing near a pon or laeǯ

coconut palm coconut palm Cocos nucifera NON-NATIVE • he coconut palm tree is wiesprea throughout the tropics an believe to be native to the ala¢ Archipelago or the outh acięcǯ t is terrestrialǰ normall¢ foun along san¢ shorelinesǯ • oconut palm trees are an important foo sourceǯ he eible ęber insie the coconut ǻor seeǼ is tast¢ an nutritiousǯ o is the water¢ liui insie the nutǯ • oconut mil is mae b¢ cooing grate coconut in water or milǯ • an¢ useful proucts can be mae from coconut palm tree materialsǯ eaves can be use for

Seafavorites.com broomsǰ basetsǰ or even rooęng materialǯ he hus an shells can be use for fuel or to mae PROS CONS charcoalǯ heir truns can be use as builing materialsǯ • n loriaǰ coconut palms are valuable ecorative plantsǯ • he¢ can tolerate salt¢ habitatsǰ which is wh¢ the¢ are often foun growing near the oceanǯ oweverǰ coconut palms canȂt tolerate col weatherǯ he¢ can be amage or ille b¢ free£ing weatherǯ • he¢ are great shae trees as long as a coconut oesnȂt fall on ¢ouǯ alling coconuts have been nown to inure peopleǯ

duck potato Ĵȱ NATIVE

duck potato • uc potato is an emerse auatic plant foun along shorelines of ponsǰ laesǰ stormwater rainage itchesǰ an in shallow wetlansǯ • ucs lie to eat the sees of this plantǯ eavers an musrats lie to eat the whole plantǰ incluing the burie tubersǯ • his plant has an aĴractive white Ěower that prouces pollen an nectar for bumblebees an haw mothsǯ • uc potato prouces starch¢ unergroun tubers that were an important foo source for ative Americans ¢ears agoǯ t is still UF/IFAS CAIP UF/IFAS harveste an eaten toa¢ǲ the tubers taste lie chestnuts or PROS CONS potatoesǯ • n parts of urope an Australiaǰ it is consiere an invasive plantǯ • he plant provies habitat along laeshores for ¢oung ęsh an waterfowl ǻucsǼǯ

eel-grass Vallisneria americana NATIVE

eel-grass • elȬgrass is a submerse auatic plant commonl¢ foun in laesǰ streamsǰ an springs throughout loriaǯ t can even tolerate bracish ǻsalt¢Ǽ waterǯ ts leaves are about one inch wie an can grow to several feet longǯ • t is becoming harer to ęnǰ now that h¢rilla has been introuce to man¢ loria watersǯ ater clarit¢ is also reuce in some laes an rivers because of seimentationǰ an this is impacting eel grassǯ • elȬgrass forms tallǰ unerwater meaows that are beautiful to see when swimming or snorelingǯ

by Joe Richard, Seafavorites.com ecause of its long tapeȬlie leavesǰ it is sometimes calle PROS CONS tape grassǯ • el grass provies valuable habitat for all ins of freshwater ęshǰ snailsǰ turtlesǰ an auatic insects lie ragonĚ¢ larvaeǯ t is also an important foo source for native loria apple snails an turtlesǯ • his plant is important to the auarium inustr¢ as one of the topȬselling auarium plantsǯ

fragrant water lily Nymphaea odorata NATIVE fragrant water lily • he fragrant water lil¢ is an auatic ĚoatingȬleave plantǯ he leavesǰ also calle pasǰ Ěoat on the surfaceǯ ts long leaf stals are aĴache to rhi£omes ǻrootsǼ own in the muǯ • his water lil¢ can be foun in ponsǰ laesǰ an slowȬĚowing streams aroun loriaǯ • ts leaves ǻor pasǼ are almost circular with a notch that reaches to the centerǯ he¢ provie ualit¢ habitat for frogsǰ which lie to sun themselves on top of the pasǯ ass lie to lur beneath the pas when searching for foo an shaeǯ • t has a show¢ white Ěower nown for its fragranceǯ

UF/IFASCAIP t also prouces an abunance of pollen that aĴracts small beesǰ Ěiesǰ an beetlesǯ hese insects are important elements PROS CONS of the auatic habitatǯ • reshwater turtles fee on the leavesǰ stemsǰ an sees of water liliesǯ usrats an beavers also fee on the plant an its rootsǯ hiteȬ taile eer can occasionall¢ be seen eating the leaves of water liliesǯ

Gambian pouch rat Cricetomys gambianus INVASIVE

Gambian pouch rat • he ambian pouch rat is a large roent that weighs about ŗǯś ilograms ǻř pounsǼǯ he¢ have been nown to weigh as much as nine pounsǷ he¢ measure ŘŖ to řś inches longǰ from the hea to the tip of the tailǯ heir tails can be ŗŚ to ŗŞ inches longǯ • ambian pouch rats are mostl¢ active at night ǻnocturnalǼǯ he¢ are terrestrial an climb wellǰ but spen more time on the grounǯ • he¢ are native to Africa an nonȬnative to loriaǯ everal of these rats escape in rass¢ e¢ in the loria e¢sǰ an are now breeingǯ • he¢ can grow to the si£e of a small raccoon or catǯ his

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is much larger than our native rats which inclue the e¢ argo woo ratǰ coĴon ratǰ an silver rice ratǯ PROS CONS • ambian pouch rats eat mostl¢ fruit an grainsǰ but the¢ have been nown to eat insectsǰ crabsǰ an snailsǯ reators such as cats an large birs avoi these rats ue to their large si£eǯ • cientists worr¢ the¢ coul invae the verglaes an cause great ecological amageǯ • As fruit eatersǰ the¢ coul also amage farm crops in outh loriaǯ • f the¢ mae their wa¢ to iamiǰ the¢ will eep our garbage cans an umpsters free of roĴing fruitǯ • hese rats carr¢ a isease calle one¢ po¡ that can aěect peopleǯ

gopher tortoise Gopherus polyphemus NATIVE

gopher tortoise • he gopher tortoise lives in all Ŝŝ counties of loriaǯ oweverǰ their numbers are winling fast an the¢ are now an enangere speciesǯ • he¢ are terrestrial an live uplan in forestsǰ pasturesǰ an ¢arsǯ • opher tortoises are herbivoresǯ he¢ eat mostl¢ grassesǰ especiall¢ wiregrassǯ he¢ also consume berries an other fruitǰ an scavenge ea meatǰ if the¢ can ęn itǯ • he¢ are having trouble surviving in our moern ageǱ the¢ are suashe b¢ cars an poache for meatǰ an their homes are estro¢e when lan is

Photo by Matthew J. Aresco Photo by Matthew J. evelopeǯ • onservations eěorts inclue PROS CONS ęnancial rewars to evelopers who ęn new homes for gopher tortoises before builingǯ • accoonsǰ gra¢ fo¡esǰ stripe sunsǰ armaillosǰ ogsǰ snaesǰ an raptors ǻbirs of pre¢Ǽ fee on gopher tortoises or their eggsǯ • opher tortoises are a ȃe¢stoneȄ species meaning other animals rel¢ on their burrows for shelterǰ incluing gopher frogsǰ snaesǰ an some small mammalsǰ lie the coĴon mouseǯ • he¢ can live from ŚŖ to ŜŖ ¢ears in the wilǯ

hibiscus Hibiscus species NON-NATIVE

hibiscus • ibiscus plants are native to warmȬtemperatureǰ subtropical an tropical regions of the worl incluing ala¢siaǰ the hilippinesǰ an niaǯ he¢ are grown for their show¢ Ěowers an use as lanscape shrubsǯ he¢ grow best in the warm temperatures of outh loriaǰ but are not tolerant of salt spra¢ǯ • ibiscus is a primar¢ ingreient in man¢ herbal teasǯ A A stu¢ showe that consuming the tea can help reuce high bloo pressureǯ

UF/IFAS photo by Marisol Amador photo by Marisol UF/IFAS • ibiscus is use as a foo source for several PROS CONS t¢pes of buĴerĚ¢ an mothǯ • ne species of hibiscus nown as enaf ǻ ibiscus cannabinusǼ is e¡tensivel¢ use in papermaingǯ • rie hibiscus is eibleǰ an is consiere a elicac¢ in e¡icoǯ • he hibiscus Ěower is traitionall¢ worn b¢ women in the acięc slansǯ t is the state Ěower of awaiiǯ • here are more than ŘŖŖ species of hibiscusǯ

hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata INVASIVE

hydrilla • ¢rilla is a submerse auatic plant thought to be from outheast Asiaǯ hen h¢rilla starts to grow in laesǰ ponsǰ riversǰ or canalsǰ it provies cover ǻhabitatǼ for ęshǯ • ¢rilla can grow in a few inches of water or in water more than ŘŖ feet eepǯ t can eventuall¢ ęll up the whole water bo¢ǰ leaving liĴle room for ęshǯ his can also cause Ěooingǯ • ¢rilla shaes out other submerse auatic plantsǰ reucing sunlight an preventing them from growingǯ • hen large amounts of h¢rilla begin to ie an eca¢ǰ the¢ use up much of the

UF/IFAS CAIP UF/IFAS o¡¢gen in the water an can cause a large number of ęsh to suěocate an ieǯ PROS CONS • ecause of its thic growthǰ h¢rilla can mae it impossible to swimǰ boatǰ or ęsh in a laeǯ ome swimmers have rowne b¢ becoming entangle in h¢rilla plantsǯ • ¢rilla provies foo for ucs an some ęsh ǻgrass carpǼǯ • ew h¢rilla plants can grow from fragmentsǰ from bus calle turionsǰ or from tubers in the muǯ ¢rilla can grow up to ŗ inch per a¢ in ieal conitionsǯ • ach ¢ear in loriaǰ millions of ollars are spent to eep h¢rilla growth uner control with herbicies an mechanical harvestersǯ

iguana Iguana iguana INVASIVE

iguana • he green tree iguana is from entral an outh America an grows up to ś feet longǯ • n outh loriaǰ these li£ars are nown for falling out of trees on chill¢ morningsǯ he¢ canȂt tolerate col temperaturesǰ an thus have trouble moving or balancingǯ • guanas are popular petsǯ oweverǰ the¢ become iĜcult to hanle as the¢ grow largerǯ f the¢ arenȂt hel ever¢ a¢ǰ the¢ become aggressiveǯ hen this happensǰ man¢ pet owners release them into the wilǯ • guanas eat leavesǰ Ěowersǰ an fruitǯ ometimesǰ UF/IFAS photo by Tom Wright Tom photo by UF/IFAS this causes problems in peopleȂs ¢ars where PROS CONS escape li£ars eat e¡pensive lanscaping or vegetable garen plantsǯ • guanas are terrestrial but are often foun near water an are goo swimmersǯ • he¢ have been nown to amage the founations of houses an seawalls when the¢ buil tunnels an nests unergrounǯ • hese li£ars will not tr¢ to sell ¢ou car insurance but the¢ mae goo ȃwatchogsȄ as the¢ can mae scar¢ noisesǯ

island apple snail Pomacea insularum INVASIVE island apple snail xhe islan apple snail is an invertebrate that can grow to the si£e of a baseballǯ he¢ are native to outh America an nonȬnative to loriaǯ he¢ are proving to be invasive in loriaǯ ntrouce from auariumsǰ islan apple snails can be sprea b¢ Ěooingǰ stormsǰ birsǰ ęshingǰ an boatingǯ xhe islan apple snail has a large appetite for all t¢pes of auatic vegetation an can evour native plants important to ecos¢stem functionsǯ x slan apple snails are a rich foo source for an enangere birǰ the snail iteǯ oweverǰ the¢ also threaten the native loria apple snailǯ slan Photos by Jess Van Dyke, Bugwood 5389860 and 5389845 Photos by Jess Van (snail eggs) apple snails live longerǰ reprouce fasterǰ an are more abunant than our native snailsǯ urrentl¢ǰ no control aĴempts have been successfulǯ PROS CONS x f snail ite populations increase because of the islan apple snailǰ it coul beneęt the local communit¢ b¢ aĴracting tourists ǻbir watchersǼǯ xutǰ if h¢rilla is not manage where islan apple snails an snail ites occurǰ there coul be negative economic impacts such as ecrease ęshing an other recreational opportunitiesǰ an reuce propert¢ valuesǯ

largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides NATIVE largemouth bass • ative to loriaǰ the largemouth bass is in the sunęsh famil¢ǯ t is the most popular freshwater game ęsh in orth Americaǯ t can grow up to ŗŝ pouns or moreǰ an puts up a tremenous ęght when hooe b¢ anglersǯ ǻhe state recor is ŗŝǯŘŝ pounsǷǼ • argemouth bass are foun in most laes an rivers aroun vegetation or unerwater structuresǰ but schooling bass are also foun in the mile of laesǯ oung bass epen on submerse plants as habitat to hie from preatorsǯ oweverǰ if there is too much vegetation in the waterǰ o¡¢gen is use up an this can Glen Lau (professional photographer); permission granted by FWC negativel¢ impact bass an other ęshǯ PROS CONS • Young largemouth bass eat microscopic animals that rift in the water ǻ£ooplantonǼǯ Ault bass eat a variet¢ of ęshǰ frogsǰ insects an crustaceans such as shrimp an crawęshǯ • Alligatorsǰ other ęshǰ an water birs fee on larval an uvenile largemouth bassǯ • ecreational freshwater ęshing generates more than Ǟŗ billion ever¢ ¢ear in loriaȯthe ȃishing apital of the orlǯȄ

manatee Trichechus manatus latirostrus NATIVE

manatee • he manatee is loriaȂs state marine mammal although it is also commonl¢ foun in freshwater riversǰ springsǰ laes an bracish coastal watersǯ • emale manatees arenȂt able to reprouce until the¢ are ęve to nine ¢ears olǯ he¢ give birth to one calf ever¢ two to ęve ¢earsǯ oweverǰ the¢ can live to be śŖ ¢ears olǯ • anatees are an enangere speciesǯ ollisions with boats an barges are the leaing humanȬrelate cause of eathǯ • anatees eat more than ŜŖ species of plantsǰ incluing eel grassǰ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission mangrove leavesǰ algaeǰ an even nonȬnative plants lie water PROS CONS h¢acinth an h¢rillaǯ • he¢ grow to an average of ŗŖ feet long an weigh ŗǰŖŖŖ pounsǯ An ault manatee spens si¡ to eight hours eating an the rest of the a¢ resting or travelingǯ • ome earl¢ e¡plorers thought manatees were mermaisǲ the¢ ma¢ have ha poor e¢esightǯ • loria has the largest population of manateesǯ ourists come from aroun the worl to see these auatic mammals which is great for our econom¢ǯ n ŘŖŖşǰ there were more than řǰŞŖŖ manatees living in loria watersǯ

monk parakeet ¢Ĵȱ INVASIVE

monk parakeet • he mon paraeet is a member of the parrot famil¢ an native to parts of outh America ǻeast of the Anes mountains from olivia to central ArgentinaǼǯ n other regionsǰ it has proven to be an agricultural pestǯ • on paraeets have been living in the wil in iamiǰ loria since ŗşŜşǯ ¢ ŗşŝśǰ the¢ were reporte in řŖ ǯǯ statesǯ hese colorful birs are about ŗŘ inches tall an ver¢ nois¢ǯ • heir abilit¢ to survive col climates allows them to live as far north as ew Yorǰ llinoisǰ onnecticutǰ hioǰ an even southwestern ashingtonǯ • heir large stic nests are often built on electrical transmission

istockphoto.com structures an have been nown to cause power outagesǯ Removal of these nests can be PROS CONS angerous an costl¢ǯ • hese birs are breeing an growing in numbersǯ he¢ have been foun in more than śŖ counties in loria an are thought to number ŗŖŖǰŖŖŖ in loria aloneǯ • he¢ ten to live in suburban areas or in cit¢ parsǰ often feeing in large Ěocs at feeers or on lawnsǯ he¢ fee on seesǰ fruitsǰ berriesǰ nutsǰ Ěowersǰ an leaf busǯ • n agricultural areasǰ mon paraeets forage for cornǰ wheatǰ an other seesǯ ǯǯ farmers worr¢ mon paraeets ma¢ become agricultural pests if their numbers continue to increaseǯ

This information card is part of the natural resource activity /DNHYLOOH developed by the Florida Invasive Plant Education Initiative SODQWVLIDVXÀHGXHGXFDWLRQ Copyright 2012 University of Florida Organism Role Cards (30 species) Old World climbing fern Old World climbing fern Lygodium microphyllum INVASIVE • l orl climbing fern is an aĴractive terrestrial plant native to Asia an Australiaǯ • he fernȂs structure is somewhat unusualǱ A single fron ǻor leafǼ can grow to ŗŖŖ feet longǯ • his climbing fern has the abilit¢ to reȬsprout from almost an¢where along each climbing leafǯ t also spreas to new locations through tin¢ spores carrie b¢ the winǯ • ecause it is a climbing fernǰ it is able to reach the tops of treesǯ nce this happensǰ the plant is able to bloc sunlight that normall¢ reaches the trees an the plants Photo by Tabitha Ann Biehl Tabitha Photo by growing in the unerstor¢ belowǰ altering the habitatǯ PROS CONS • l orl climbing fern can completel¢ cover tall treesǰ causing them to ieǯ t also allows small brush ęres from the groun to travel up into the tree canopiesǰ which can ill the treesǯ • his fern is covering hunres of acres ǻeven small islansǼ in the loria verglaesǯ • l orl climbing fern is costl¢ to manageǰ as it reuires regular inspection to ensure controlǯ

orange tree Citrus sinensis NON-NATIVE

orange tree • range trees are terrestrial an nonȬnative to loriaǯ he¢ are thought to be from outheast Asia an are wiel¢ grown in tropical an subtropical climatesǯ • range trees are an important crop in loriaǯ n ŘŖŖŞǰ the citrus crop was worth over one billion ollarsǯ • loria is the largest proucer ǻgrowerǼ of oranges in the nite tates an the secon biggest in the worl ǻra£il is the ęrstǼǯ • range tree Ěowers are also an important source of nectar ǻfooǼ for bees an insectsǯ • People eat large

UF/IFAS uantities of orangesǰ which are a source of vitamin ǰ an PROS CONS important nutrient for human healthǯ • Raccoonsǰ opossumsǰ sunsǰ an man¢ other animals fee on the fruit when it falls to the grounǯ • uĴerĚies eno¢ the uice of the roĴing fruitǯ

peanut plant peanut plant Arachis hypogaea NON-NATIVE • he peanut plant is a legume native to outh Americaǯ • Peanuts are an e¡cellent highȬprotein foo sourceǯ • he plants a nitrogen to the soilǰ which maes it possible to grow more crops in the futureǯ • Peanut shells are also use as a highȬualit¢ mulch for garensǯ • Peanut shells can be burne in power plants to prouce electricit¢ǯ UF/IFAS • he peanut is a reliable crop in hot climatesǯ PROS CONS t is an important agricultural crop in the outheastern nite tates an provies over one billion ollars to our econom¢ each ¢earǯ • Peanuts are a favorite bir foo in bac¢ar bir feeersǯ uirrels love themǰ tooǯ • Americans eat an average of nearl¢ seven pouns of peanuts per personǰ per ¢earǯ

pickerelweed Pontederia cordata NATIVE

pickerelweed • Picerelwee is an emerse auatic plant foun along lae shorelinesǰ in ponsǰ an even roasie itchesǯ ven though the wor ȃweeȄ is part of its common nameǰ this native plant provies man¢ functions in auatic an wetlan habitatsǯ • t has vertical purple blooms that prouce lots of nectar an pollen for beesǰ waspsǰ an buĴerĚiesǯ • t provies habitat for small ęsh an insects in shallow waterǯ • Picerelwee sees are a foo source for wil ucs such as mallarsǰ woo ucsǰ an tealǯ

UF/IFAS CAIP UF/IFAS • he roun tail musratǰ a loria nativeǰ eats the roots ǻrhi£omesǼ PROS CONS an the base of this plantǯ • Picerelwee reuces shoreline erosion in laes an pons b¢ stabili£ing the soil an reucing wave action from win an boatsǯ • t is sometimes consiere a wee because it grows so abunantl¢ǯ SODQWVLIDVXÀHGXHGXFDWLRQ

poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans NATIVE

poison ivy • Poison iv¢ is a native terrestrial plant normall¢ foun in wooe areasǰ in open ęels an as a vine on tree trunsǯ t is eas¢ to recogni£eǯ ach leaf has three smaller leaĚets an the leaĚets often have ȃthumbsǯȄ A goo rh¢me to rememberǱ eaves of threeǰ let it beǯ • his plant is ver¢ unpopular because its oil can cause serious allergic reactions in some people incluing swelling an blistersǯ ne tin¢ rop of oil can be enough to mae śŖŖ people itchǯ • Poison iv¢ berries are gra¢ishȬwhite an are a favorite winter foo for some birs an small animals lie miceǯ

UF/IFAS CAIP UF/IFAS • irs help isperse the sees b¢ eating themǰ Ě¢ing to PROS CONS another locationǰ an releasing them in their wasteǯ hatȂs wh¢ poison iv¢ is often foun growing along fence rows where birs lie to sit an singǯ • ie the catȬtail plantǰ poison iv¢ is consiere a wee in some parts of the nite tatesǯ • n innesota an ichigan it has been nown to cover large areas of lanǯ

UHGLPSRUWHG¿UHDQW UHGLPSRUWHG¿UHDQW Solenopsis invicta INVASIVE • he re importe ęre ant is a si¡Ȭlegge insect from outh Americaǯ • Re importe ęre ants are invasive an currentl¢ infest over řŘŖ million acres in ŗŘ states in the ǯǯ an Puerto Ricoǯ he¢ are foun in all of loriaȂs Ŝŝ countiesǯ • ire ants are omnivorousǯ he¢ fee on carboh¢rates ǻhone¢ewǰ sugarsǰ s¢rupsǼǰ proteins ǻinsectsǰ ea animalsǼǰ an fats ǻgreaseǰ larǰ see oilǼǯ • Armaillosǰ insectsǰ

Pest and Diseases Image Library, Bugwood 5314045 Pest and Diseases Image Library, spiersǰ miceǰ ęshǰ li£arsǰ birsǰ bearsǰ an co¢otes eat ęre antsǯ PROS CONS • he re importe ęre ant behaves iěerentl¢ from our native tropical ęre antǯ hen importe ęre ant mouns are isturbeǰ ants emerge aggressivel¢ to bite an sting the intruerǯ ultiple stings can ill small animalsǯ eerǰ grounȬnesting birsǰ roentsǰ snaesǰ an li£ars are efenseless to stings uring an after birth or hatchingǯ n some areasǰ re importe ęre ants have almost completel¢ eliminate grounȬnesting birs such as the bobwhite uailǯ • hese invasive ants also cause hunres of millions of ollars in crop losses an control costs ever¢ ¢earǯ

VDLO¿QFDW¿VK Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus INVASIVE

VDLO¿QFDW¿VK • ailęn catęsh are popular auarium ęsh that were brought here from entral an outh Americaǯ he¢ are often use to control algae in ęsh tansǯ • ith more than ŝŖŖ speciesǰ the¢ are the largest famil¢ of catęsh in the worlǯ hese same ęsh are also calle sucermouth catęsh or armore catęshǯ Pleco is another common nameǯ • n loriaǰ the¢ were probabl¢ introuce as escapees from tropical ęsh farms or from auarium releasesǯ heir impactǰ along with other introuce catęshesǰ is being investigateǯ • ailęn catęsh eat organic materialǰ algaeǰ muǰ an tin¢ fragments of wooǯ Photo by Travis Tuten/FWC Photo by Travis • Alligatorsǰ bigger PROS CONS ęshǰ an birs eat sailęn catęsh when the¢ can catch themǯ • ailęn catęsh reprouce uicl¢ an can grow to be over ŚŖ cm long ǻŗŜ inchesǼǯ cientists who have observe these ęsh worr¢ the¢ ma¢ be reucing the foo base in auatic habitatsǰ an are therefore negativel¢ impacting native ęsh communitiesǯ • esting burrows mae b¢ these catęsh can cause increase erosion of the shoreline that is e¡pensive to ę¡ an also ecreases propert¢ valuesǯ

small duckweed Lemna valdiviana NATIVE small duckweed • mall ucwee is the common name for a tin¢ Ěoating auatic plant ǻabout ŗȦŞ inch longǼǯ ach plant has at least two shoeȬshape leaves oine at the baseǯ A single root hangs below the plantǯ • ucwee is usuall¢ foun in areas where the water is calm or stillǯ hese native plants can grow so close together that the¢ form Ěoating mats that completel¢ cover the waterǯ he¢ provie habitat for tin¢ insects ǻmicroȬinvertebratesǼǯ • ucwee is high in protein an is use as ęsh fooǰ especiall¢ on ęsh farmsǯ • t can absorb

UF/IFAS CAIP UF/IFAS harmful chemicals from the water an is also use to PROS CONS prouce a number of meicinesǯ • here are other species of ucwee in loriaǯ ot all of them are nativeǯ • mall ucwee is an important foo source for ucsǯ • People also eat these tin¢ plantsǰ especiall¢ in Asiaǯ

snail kite Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus NATIVE

snail kite xhe snail ite is a native bir of pre¢ that lives in the verglaes an some outh an entral loria laes an marshesǯ t occurs in no other state within the ǯǯ xhe snail ite is feerall¢ liste as enangere with fewer than ŗŖŖŖ iniviuals as of ŘŖŗřǯ evelopment an the raining of wetlans eliminate much of the snail iteȂs habitatǯ xnail ites normall¢ epen on native loria apple snails for fooǰ but now must aapt to eat invasive islan apple snailsǯ xnaes an alligators are the snail iteȂs preatorsǯ

Photos by Martjan Lammertink, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (male) and Ron Bielefeld, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission IHPDOHLQÀLJKW xecause snail ites are rare birsǰ local female economies beneęt PROS CONS from tourism ǻbir watchersǼǯ oweverǰ isturbances can cause parent birs to abanon nestsǯ ome ¢oung ǻuvenileǼ snail ites are having trouble eating invasive islan apple snailsǯ he shells are too big for ¢oung birs to hol or brea into with their talons an beaǯ cientists worr¢ this ma¢ result in starvation an fewer birs reaching maturit¢ǯ

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This information card is part of the natural resource activity /DNHYLOOH developed by the Florida Invasive Plant Education Initiative SODQWVLIDVXÀHGXHGXFDWLRQ Copyright 2012 University of Florida Organism Role Cards (30 species) tuberous sword fern tuberous sword fern Nephrolepis cordifolia INVASIVE • he tuberous swor fern is a lanscape plant commonl¢ foun in ¢ars or growing in woolan areasǯ t prouces vertical frons that can grow to ř feet highǯ t is often foun growing on the truns of palm treesǯ • uberous swor fern can sprea ver¢ uicl¢ǯ ecause it is a true fernǰ it reprouces from sporesǯ housans of spores can be prouce b¢ one plant an these can be isperse b¢ win an waterǯ n loriaǰ spores are prouce ¢earȬrounǯ • his fern can also sprea b¢ UF/IFAS CAIP UF/IFAS unergroun plant parts incluing small marbleȬsi£e tubersǯ PROS CONS • loriaȂs native swor fern oes not have tubersǯ • he swor fern is able to form ense stans ǻa monocultureǼǯ t has been nown to cover large areas of grounǰ preventing native plants ǻincluing treesǼ from growingǯ

water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes INVASIVE

water hyacinth • ater h¢acinthǰ a Ěoating plant from ra£ilǰ can ouble its population ever¢ Ř wees until it covers ŗŖŖƖ of the water surfaceǯ • t has the abilit¢ to absorb heav¢ metals an to¡ins from waterǯ • his plant provies ieal habitat for several species of mosuitoesǰ which carr¢ iseaseǯ • As water h¢acinth plants ie an eca¢ǰ the¢ can lower o¡¢gen levels in the water an cause large amounts of muc to collect on the boĴom of UF/IFAS CAIP CAIP UF/IFAS laesǯ • ater h¢acinth is foun PROS CONS in laes an rivers an grows so thic it shaes out other auatic plantsǯ t can also create large ȃraftsȄ of plants that prevent boats from moving through the waterǯ • n loriaǰ millions of ollars use to be spent controlling the sprea of water h¢acinthǯ Regular management of the plant has greatl¢ reuce that e¡penseǯ • ater h¢acinth is a popular water garen plant because of its preĴ¢ lavener Ěowersǯ

wild taro Colocasia esculenta INVASIVE

wild taro • il taro is an auatic plant originating in nia an outheast Asiaǯ • t can grow up to Ś feet tall an is foun in swampsǰ along stream bansǰ an lae shorelinesǯ • t prouces tubers that are a popular foo in entral an outh Americaǯ ubers can be store for several weesǰ if refrigerateǯ • aro was originall¢ introuce in loria as a substitute crop for potatoes in ŗşŗŖǯ • n loriaǰ wil taro UF/IFAS CAIP UF/IFAS can uicl¢ cover streams an isturbe PROS CONS shorelinesǯ • t can shae out all other plants aroun it with its large ar green leavesǰ which can grow to Ŝ feet longǯ • ometimesǰ wil taro grows so thic along the shoreline that it will brea loose an form Ěoating islansǯ hese islans can bloc waterwa¢s an increase the chance of Ěooing in canalsǯ • nce planteǰ taro is ver¢ har to get ri ofǯ t tens to reȬsprout when treate with chemicals an grows bac even after ver¢ col weatherǯ

Burmese Python ¢‘˜—Ȱ–˜•ž›žœȰ‹’Ÿ’ĴŠžœ INVASIVE

Burmese Python ¢‘˜—Ȱ–˜•ž›žœȰ‹’Ÿ’ĴŠžœ INVASIVE