Salvinia molesta

Notifiable Organism, Unwanted Organism, National Interest Pest Response, National Pest Plant Accord
• Scientific Name: Salvinia molesta
• Origin: South America, southeastern Brazil, and northern Argentina
• Type: Weed
• Plant Life-form Type: Free-floating
• Taxonomy: Mitchell
• Presence: Locally naturalised, subject to a national eradication programme since 1983, first record from Western Springs, Auckland in 1963.
• Habitat: Still and slow flowing water bodies in warm areas.
• Temperature (°C): 18 - 30
• Notes: A major weed in many warm temperate and tropical countries. A small free-floating fern with dense roots. Coffey & Clayton heartily condemns this invasive weed. All 3 species S. auriculate S molesta & S roundifola are pest plants.
• Propagation: Spreads rapidly by fragmentation and producing plantlets from the old end of the horizontal axis, and can grow from a singe node. The plant is apparently a sterile hybrid.
• Features: Free-floating fern. Salvinia has a horizontal stem with paired aerial (above the water) leaves. Adult leaves are folded, whereas young leaves are flat. Aerial leaves have hairs shaped like egg-beaters. Lower submerged leaves look more like roots and can be up to 30 cm long.
• Source: TIFBIS
• Regional: Regional Pest Management Strategy: NTL, AUK.