DOCSLIB.ORG

Nymphoides JF Séguier Water Snowflakes

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Nymphoides JF Séguier Water Snowflakes Nymphoides J.F. Séguier Water Snowflakes (Limnanthemum, Menyanthes, Villarsia) • Nymphoides are variously known by a number of vernacular names including Water Fringe or Floating Hearts; although very similar to water lilies in overall appearance, this genus is actually a member of the family Menyanthaceae B.C.J. Dumortier, the Buckbean or Marsh-Trefoil Family, and the flowers differ substantially upon close inspection from Nymphaea; Nymphoides offer floating cordate to reniform leaves with mostly five-petaled cup or saucer-shaped white or yellow flowers held a few inches above the water's surface; flowers are much smaller than those of most Nymphaea and the margins of the petals are often crisped or fringed; flowering occurs throughout the growing season, but individual flowers typically last but a single day. • Culture is easy in full sun to light shade; plants should be planted in containers to attempt to control their spread; growth is rampant, so much so that they have often been used as a nursery plant for fish cover until other water garden plants become established; the problem is getting them out once established; several species in the genus are on various invasive plant lists, so use them with caution and be sure to check for restrictions on the genus or individual species within it in your state; cold tolerance various among the species; optimal water depths also vary among taxa from 4 to 20 in depth; plants are often used in smaller tubs where their flowers and foliage looks more in scale compared to the larger Nymphaea; the banana-shaped tubers on the bases of these plants has made them popular aquarium plants, although often short-term due to lack of light and sometimes too great a depth of water; the following are among the more commonly encountered taxa. • Nymphoides aquatica (J.F. Gmelin) C.E.O. Kuntze (Limnanthemum aquaticum, Trachysperma aquaticum, Villarsia aquatica), Banana Plant, Big Floating Heart, or Fairy Water Lily, is famous as Banana Plant in the aquarium trade due to the banana-shaped tubers from which the foliage radiates; this Texas native offers interesting 6 long water lily-like heart-shaped leaves and small white open cup-shaped flowers; this species is useful in water gardens in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 13. • Nymphoides crenata (F.J.H. von Mueller) C.E.O. Kuntze (Limnanthemum crenatum), Fringed Yellow Snowflake, Wavy Marshwort, or Yellow Fringe Water Lily, offers interesting green blotched red heart-shaped leaves; although not as glossy as those of N. cristata, the leaves of N. crenata have more undulate to crenate margins; also the flowers of this Australian native are more open and flattened than those of most of the other Nymphoides discussed here; the five bright yellow petals are narrow and crisped along the margins; plants are reportedly hardy in USDA zones 6 to 10. • Nymphoides cristata (W. Roxburgh) C.E.O. Kuntze (Limnanthemum cristatum, Menyanthes cristata, Villarsia cristata), Water Snowflake, provides dark glossy green red blotched heart-shaped leaves and small five-petaled cup-shaped white flowers as its primary assets; the brilliant white flower petals are crisped or fringed on the margins and are cup-shaped but petals are not much overlapping; this Asian species is very aggressive and has been placed on some state noxious weed lists; it is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 13. • Nymphoides indica (L.) C.E.O. Kuntze (Menyanthes indica, Nymphoides humboldtiana, Villarsia indica), Banana Plant, Robust Marshwort, Trébol de Agua, Water Snowflake, or Water Fringe, offers multi- hued green heart-shaped leaves with undulate margins and beautifully fringed bright white flowers with a tiny yellow center; bloom is often prolific and over an extended time period; unfortunately N. indica is not as cold hardy as many of the other Nymphoides being useful in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 13; this species is native to numerous areas in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America and has become naturalized in the USA where it is now on several states' noxious weed lists. • Nymphoides peltata (S.G. Gmelin) C.E.O. Kuntze (Limnanthemum peltatum), Floating Heart, Fringed Water Lily, Water Fringe, Yellow Floating Heart, or Yellow Water Snowflake, has broader petaled cup-shaped bright yellow flowers and in most all respects resembles a miniature version of a yellow Water Lily; petals are much broader, tend to overlap more and have shallower fringes on the margins than most Nymphoides spp.; this species is native to Eurasia but has been naturalized fairly extensively in North America where it appears on several state noxious weed lists; although an attractive aquatic plant, N. peltata can quickly overwhelm smaller shallow ponds and slow moving streams; where legal, restrict use to locations where it will not escape the intended purpose; Nymphoides peltata is hardy in USDA zones 6(5) to 13. Copyright 2013 by Michael A. Arnold with all rights reserved; intended for future inclusion in Landscape Plants For Texas And Environs, Fourth Edition. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Crested Floating Heart, Nymphoides Cristata
    FDACS-02020 Pest Alert Pest Alert Published 1-October-2014 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry Nymphoides cristata, Crested Floating Heart, a Recently Listed State Noxious Weed Patti J. Anderson, [email protected], Botanist, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry Marc S. Frank, Botanist, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry INTRODUCTION: The perennial, emergent aquatic plant, Nymphoides cristata (Roxb.) Kuntze (Menyanthaceae), has been added to the Florida Noxious Weed and Invasive Species List. This plant was proposed for listing and evidence was presented to the Noxious Weed Review Committee. Numerous ecological studies and weed assessments by the USDA and the University of Florida provided information. Invasive plant managers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and South Florida Water Management District are currently trying to control the spread of this plant. Crested floating heart is an aggressive pest plant that develops dense mats and quickly covers lakes and ponds.This species is documented as naturalized in eight counties in Florida and is also listed by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council as an invasive species that has altered natural plant communities. The committee found that the species exhibited the following invasive characteristics: • vegetative reproduction from plant fragments, bulbils and tubers • rapid colonization of fresh water bodies • persistent roots, rhizomes and leaf fragments make control extremely difficult • easily spread by boat traffic Mats of N. cristata reduce or eliminate the light required by native plant species below the water surface, and thereby eliminate these plants from the water column.
    [Show full text]
  • An Updated Checklist of Aquatic Plants of Myanmar and Thailand
    Biodiversity Data Journal 2: e1019 doi: 10.3897/BDJ.2.e1019 Taxonomic paper An updated checklist of aquatic plants of Myanmar and Thailand Yu Ito†, Anders S. Barfod‡ † University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand ‡ Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark Corresponding author: Yu Ito ([email protected]) Academic editor: Quentin Groom Received: 04 Nov 2013 | Accepted: 29 Dec 2013 | Published: 06 Jan 2014 Citation: Ito Y, Barfod A (2014) An updated checklist of aquatic plants of Myanmar and Thailand. Biodiversity Data Journal 2: e1019. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.2.e1019 Abstract The flora of Tropical Asia is among the richest in the world, yet the actual diversity is estimated to be much higher than previously reported. Myanmar and Thailand are adjacent countries that together occupy more than the half the area of continental Tropical Asia. This geographic area is diverse ecologically, ranging from cool-temperate to tropical climates, and includes from coast, rainforests and high mountain elevations. An updated checklist of aquatic plants, which includes 78 species in 44 genera from 24 families, are presented based on floristic works. This number includes seven species, that have never been listed in the previous floras and checklists. The species (excluding non-indigenous taxa) were categorized by five geographic groups with the exception of to reflect the rich diversity of the countries' floras. Keywords Aquatic plants, flora, Myanmar, Thailand © Ito Y, Barfod A. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
    [Show full text]
  • Outline of Angiosperm Phylogeny
    Outline of angiosperm phylogeny: orders, families, and representative genera with emphasis on Oregon native plants Priscilla Spears December 2013 The following listing gives an introduction to the phylogenetic classification of the flowering plants that has emerged in recent decades, and which is based on nucleic acid sequences as well as morphological and developmental data. This listing emphasizes temperate families of the Northern Hemisphere and is meant as an overview with examples of Oregon native plants. It includes many exotic genera that are grown in Oregon as ornamentals plus other plants of interest worldwide. The genera that are Oregon natives are printed in a blue font. Genera that are exotics are shown in black, however genera in blue may also contain non-native species. Names separated by a slash are alternatives or else the nomenclature is in flux. When several genera have the same common name, the names are separated by commas. The order of the family names is from the linear listing of families in the APG III report. For further information, see the references on the last page. Basal Angiosperms (ANITA grade) Amborellales Amborellaceae, sole family, the earliest branch of flowering plants, a shrub native to New Caledonia – Amborella Nymphaeales Hydatellaceae – aquatics from Australasia, previously classified as a grass Cabombaceae (water shield – Brasenia, fanwort – Cabomba) Nymphaeaceae (water lilies – Nymphaea; pond lilies – Nuphar) Austrobaileyales Schisandraceae (wild sarsaparilla, star vine – Schisandra; Japanese
    [Show full text]
  • Yellow Floating Heart: an Exotic Aquatic Plant Nymphoides Peltata
    Yellow Floating Heart: An Exotic Aquatic Plant Nymphoides peltata Description • Yellow Floating Heart, an aggressive exotic aquatic plant, is native to Asia but now occurs in over 15 states. • The shiny green leaves are heart-shaped and the size of a silver dollar. Leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, and oppositely on the flower stalks. Leaf margins are often rippled and purplish underneath. • Two to five showy yellow flowers are supported several inches above the water on strong stalks. The flowers have 5 petals, with fringed margins, and are usually 3-5 cm in diameter. • The rope-like stems are attached to adventitious roots on the lake’s bottom. Yellow Floating Heart Habitat N. peltata is a hardy and persistent species that is established in a wide range of aquatic habitats; however, this species prefers quiet lakes and slow moving streams. • This species has been documented in Massachusetts and other areas of New England. Commonwealth of Massachusetts ~ Department of Conservation and Recreation ~ Office of Water Resources ~ Lakes and Ponds Program 1 Distribution Map Nymphoides peltata Reproduction N. peltata reproduces by both vegetative and sexual methods. • Each plant produces one 2.5 cm long fruit that contains numerous seeds. • Fragments of N. peltata containing leaves and a portion of the stem, are capable of sinking and developing into new plants. Impacts and Threats Posed by Yellow Floating Heart N. peltata is a very aggressive plant that is capable of rapid growth and spread. N. peltata can displace native species, reduce biodiversity, limit recreation, diminish aesthetic value, and decrease water quality and flow.
    [Show full text]
  • Pharmacognostical Studies on the Root and Rhizome of Nymphoides Hydrophylla (Linn.) O
    Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources Vol. 3(3), September 2012, pp. 371-385 Pharmacognostical studies on the root and rhizome of Nymphoides hydrophylla (Linn.) O. Kuntze –An alternate source for Tagara drug V Madhavan1, M Jayashree1, S N Yoganarasimhan1*, M Gurudeva2, R Deveswaran3 and R Mythreyi1 1Department of Pharmacognosy, MS Ramaiah College of Pharmacy, Bangalore-560 054, India 2Department of Botany, VV Pura College of Science, Bangalore 3Department of Pharmaceutics, MS Ramaiah College of Pharmacy, Bangalore Received 13 October 2011; Accepted 19 January 2012 Tagara is an important drug used in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of several diseases. The accepted botanical source of Tagara is Valeriana jatamasni Jones, although different species of Nymphoides Hill are used by the physicians. The pharmacognostical evaluation of the root and rhizome of Nymphoides hydrophylla, a potential alternative source for Tagara is presented in this paper. Important details like morphology of the plant, macro-, microscopical characters, macerate, histochemical tests, UV studies of the root and rhizome along with physico-chemical constants, phytochemical analysis and HPTLC finger print profile are presented, all of which will be useful in the standardization of this drug. Isolation of β-sitosterol, betulinic, salicylic and tannic acids are reported for the first time from N. hydrophylla. The pharmacognostical and phytochemical studies help in the identification of N. hydrophylla from other species used as Tagara. Keywords: Nymphoides hydrophylla, Pharmacognosy, Root, Rhizome, HPTLC, Tagara. IPC code; Int. cl. (2011.01)—A61K 36/00 Introduction (Lour.) O. Kuntze, N. indica (Linn.) O. Kuntze and Tagara is an important drug used in Ayurvedic N.
    [Show full text]
  • Evolutionary History of Floral Key Innovations in Angiosperms Elisabeth Reyes
    Evolutionary history of floral key innovations in angiosperms Elisabeth Reyes To cite this version: Elisabeth Reyes. Evolutionary history of floral key innovations in angiosperms. Botanics. Université Paris Saclay (COmUE), 2016. English. NNT : 2016SACLS489. tel-01443353 HAL Id: tel-01443353 https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01443353 Submitted on 23 Jan 2017 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. NNT : 2016SACLS489 THESE DE DOCTORAT DE L’UNIVERSITE PARIS-SACLAY, préparée à l’Université Paris-Sud ÉCOLE DOCTORALE N° 567 Sciences du Végétal : du Gène à l’Ecosystème Spécialité de Doctorat : Biologie Par Mme Elisabeth Reyes Evolutionary history of floral key innovations in angiosperms Thèse présentée et soutenue à Orsay, le 13 décembre 2016 : Composition du Jury : M. Ronse de Craene, Louis Directeur de recherche aux Jardins Rapporteur Botaniques Royaux d’Édimbourg M. Forest, Félix Directeur de recherche aux Jardins Rapporteur Botaniques Royaux de Kew Mme. Damerval, Catherine Directrice de recherche au Moulon Président du jury M. Lowry, Porter Curateur en chef aux Jardins Examinateur Botaniques du Missouri M. Haevermans, Thomas Maître de conférences au MNHN Examinateur Mme. Nadot, Sophie Professeur à l’Université Paris-Sud Directeur de thèse M.
    [Show full text]
  • Mariana Conceição Menezes Flórula Das Angiospermas
    UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RECÔNCAVO DA BAHIA CENTRO DE CIÊNCIAS AGRÁRIAS, AMBIENTAIS E BIOLÓGICAS MARIANA CONCEIÇÃO MENEZES FLÓRULA DAS ANGIOSPERMAS AQUÁTICAS E PALUSTRES DO GRUPO ASTERALES (EUASTERIDEAS II) OCORRENTES NA UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RECÔNCAVO DA BAHIA, CRUZ DAS ALMAS, BA. Cruz das Almas 2010 MARIANA CONCEIÇÃO MENEZES FLÓRULA DAS ANGIOSPERMAS AQUÁTICAS E PALUSTRES DO GRUPO ASTERALES (EUASTERIDEAS II) OCORRENTES NA UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RECÔNCAVO DA BAHIA, CRUZ DAS ALMAS, BA. Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso II, apresentado ao Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas (CCAAB) da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia como requisito à obtenção do título de Bacharel em Ciências Biológicas. Orientadora: Lidyanne Yuriko Saleme Aona. Cruz das Almas, BA. 2010 Ficha Catalográfica M543 Menezes, Mariana Conceição. Flórula das angiospermas aquáticas e palustres do grupo asterales(Euasterideas II) ocorrentes na Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Cruz das Almas, Ba. / Mariana Conceição Menezes._. Cruz das Almas - Ba, 2010. 47f.; il. Orientador: Lidyanne Yuriko Saleme Aona. Monografia (Graduação) – Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas. 1.Botânica. 2.Angiosperma – Taxonomia vegetal. I.Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas. II.Título. CDD: 581.9813 FLÓRULA DAS ANGIOSPERMAS AQUÁTICAS E PALUSTRES DO GRUPO ASTERALES (EUASTERIDEAS II) OCORRENTES NA UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RECÔNCAVO DA BAHIA, CRUZ DAS ALMAS, BA. Mariana Conceição Menezes Banca examinadora 16/12/2010 Profa. Dra. Lidyanne Yuriko Saleme Aona (Orientadora) Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia Prof. MSc. Márcio Larceda Lopes Martins Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia Prof. MSc. Domingos Benício Oliveira Silva Cardoso Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Aquarium Plants
    Aquarium Plants Kingdom: Plantae Conditions for Customer Ownership We hold permits allowing us to transport these organisms. To access permit conditions, click here. Never purchase living specimens without having a disposition strategy in place. Shipment of aquatic plants is prohibited in Puerto Rico. Shipment of Cabomba is restricted in CA, CT, MA, ME, VT, and WA. In all other cases, the USDA does not require any special permits to receive aquatic plants. However, in order to continue to protect our environment, you must house your aquatic plants in an aquarium. Under no circum- stances should you release your plants into the wild. Primary Hazard Considerations Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after you handle your aquatic plants, or anything it has touched. Availability Aquatic plants are generally available year round, and can be found in freshwater lakes and ponds. They are collected, so shortages may occur. The aquatic plants come packaged in plastic bags. Once received, open package and, using tap water, gently rinse away any debris or broken-off pieces. Some plants come in jars; remove lid and place in tank. Your plants do not need to be acclimated. Aquarium Needs Habitat: • Water from the tap in most cases contains chlorine, which can be detrimental to the health of your plants and aquatic animals. De-chlorinate your water by using a commercial chemical designed to do so, such as Ammonia/Chlorine Detoxifier, or by leaving your water out in an open container for 24–48 hours. Tropical plants need temperatures ranging from 66–77°F. For an aquarium to function well, a Filtration System 21 W 3535 is needed.
    [Show full text]
  • Liparophyllum Exaltatum
    Liparophyllum exaltatum FAMILY : MENYANTHACEAE BOTANICAL NAME : Liparophyllum exaltatum, (Sol. ex Sims) Tippery & Les, Novon 19: 408 (2009) COMMON NAME : Erect marsh flower COMMONWEALTH STATUS : (EPBC Act ) Not Listed TASMANIAN STATUS : (TSP Act ) rare Liparophyllum exaltata . G. Davis. Description A perennial herb with a stout, more or less erect underground stem and fleshy roots. Leaves: The leaves arise from the base, often standing immediately underneath long slender trailing stems, which have roots along them. The blades are round or kidney- shaped or heart-shaped or sometimes egg-shaped and are more or less fleshy (between 2-8 cm long). The stalks are much longer than the blades. Flowers: The flowerheads are between 15-80 cm high. The flowers are showy, 20-35 mm in diameter and on stalks that are between 1.5-2 cm long. The petals are bright yellow. Flowering occurs from October to April. Fruit: The fruit is an oblong capsule that opens at the top into 4 blunt valves (description from Curtis 1967). Herbarium specimens have been collected in October and November. This species was previously known as Villarsia exaltata . Distribution and Habitat On the mainland this species occurs in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. In Tasmania, Liparophyllum exaltatum is found in the north-east near St Helens, Scamander and the Ringarooma River. It grows in stationary or slow flowing water to a depth of 50 cm (Hughes & Davis 1989). Key Sites and Populations Key sites include Jocks Lagoon, The Chimneys and Mt William National Park. Known Reserves Reserved in the Cameron Regional Reserve, Douglas-Apsley National Park, Mount Pearson State Reserve, and St Helens Point Conserva tion Area.
    [Show full text]
  • Flora of South Australia 5Th Edition | Edited by Jürgen Kellermann
    Flora of South Australia 5th Edition | Edited by Jürgen Kellermann KEY TO FAMILIES1 J.P. Jessop2 The sequence of families used in this Flora follows closely the one adopted by the Australian Plant Census (www.anbg.gov. au/chah/apc), which in turn is based on that of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG III 2009) and Mabberley’s Plant Book (Mabberley 2008). It differs from previous editions of the Flora, which were mainly based on the classification system of Engler & Gilg (1919). A list of all families recognised in this Flora is printed in the inside cover pages with families already published highlighted in bold. The up-take of this new system by the State Herbarium of South Australia is still in progress and the S.A. Census database (www.flora.sa.gov.au/census.shtml) still uses the old classification of families. The Australian Plant Census web-site presents comparison tables of the old and new systems on family and genus level. A good overview of all families can be found in Heywood et al. (2007) and Stevens (2001–), although these authors accept a slightly different family classification. A number of names with which people using this key may be familiar but are not employed in the system used in this work have been included for convenience and are enclosed on quotation marks. 1. Plants reproducing by spores and not producing flowers (“Ferns and lycopods”) 2. Aerial shoots either dichotomously branched, with scale leaves and 3-lobed sporophores or plants with fronds consisting of a simple or divided sterile blade and a simple or branched spikelike sporophore ..................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Pest Alert Pest Alert Updated 1-October-2014 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry
    FDACS-P-02019 Pest Alert Pest Alert updated 1-October-2014 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry Nymphoides peltata, Yellow Floating Heart, Fringed Water Lily, a Recently Listed State Noxious Weed Patti J. Anderson, [email protected], Botanist, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry Marc S. Frank, Botanist, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry INTRODUCTION: The perennial, emergent aquatic plant, Nymphoides peltata (S.G. Gmel.) Kuntze (Menyanthaceae), has been added to the Florida Noxious Weed and Invasive Species List. This plant was proposed for listing and evidence was presented to the Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Review Committee. Numerous ecological studies and weed assessments by the United States Department of Agriculture and the University of Florida provided information. Nymphoides peltata has not yet altered natural plant communities nor become widely naturalized in Florida, but it is an aggressive pest plant known to develop dense mats that can quickly cover lakes and ponds. This species has become naturalized in 25 states and is regulated in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Adding this species to the list will regulate the introduction of this invasive species into Florida through the nursery trade. The committee found that the species exhibited the following invasive characteristics: • vegetative reproduction from plant fragments • rapid colonization of fresh water bodies • seed dispersal by birds and flotation • spread by heavy rains from outdoor water gardens to other water bodies • persistent roots, rhizomes and leaf fragments that make control difficult after establishment Restricted light availability to species below the water surface by mats of N.
    [Show full text]
  • Weed Risk Assessment for Hydrocleys Nymphoides (Alismataceae)
    United States Department of Weed Risk Assessment Agriculture for Hydrocleys nymphoides Animal and Plant Health (Alismataceae) Inspection Service March 4, 2021 Version 1 Top: Hydrocleys nymphoides population in Brazil (Popovkin, 2013); bottom: H. nymphoides in bloom in New Zealand (Auckland Regional Council, 2020) AGENCY CONTACT Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory (PERAL) Science and Technology Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 2760 Weed Risk Assessment for Hydrocleys nymphoides (Water poppy) Executive Summary The result of the weed risk assessment for Hydrocleys nymphoides is High Risk of spreading or causing harm in the United States. Hydrocleys nymphoides is a perennial aquatic herb that can be a weed of natural areas and a nuisance in drains and waterways. It is naturalized in seven counties in Florida and Texas and possibly one county in Louisiana, and it is a causal alien in Hawaii. The species has also been observed in Puerto Rico, where its status is unclear. It is on a watch list in Texas but is not regulated by any state. The plant produces seed in its native range but has only been observed to reproduce vegetatively in its exotic range. Small fragments can grow into new plants, and vegetative plantlets detach at the end of the growing season. The species is spreading in New Zealand and is under eradication there. It can be moved on boats and equipment and can also be introduced to new areas through aquarium dumping. The leaves can form dense mats on the water surface, which completely block light to submerged vegetation and deplete oxygen in the water.
    [Show full text]