Lagarosiphon major
Unwanted Organism, National Pest Plant Accord
- Scientific Name
- Lagarosiphon major
- Origin
- Introduced plant. Native to Africa
- Type
- Weed
- Plant Life-form Type
- Submerged
- Taxonomy
- (Ridley) Moss ex Wager
- Presence
- Widely naturalised in North Island and lowland northern and eastern South island, rare in Westland and upland South island, first record from Waiwhetu Stream, Wellington in 1950
- Habitat
- Moderately fast flowing to still water bodies
- Temperature (°C)
- 15 - 25
- pH range
- 6.0 - 8.0
- Hardness (ppm)
- 30 - 200
- Light
- Medium
- Height
- 2000mm
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Notes
- Major impacts on indigenous plant biodiversity and recreation. No longer allowed as a pond plant or in coldwater tanks. A pest plant. This is one of 4 plants sometimes sold as OXYGEN WEED. A big problem in lake Taupo and the Waikato river.
- Propagation
- New plants develop from stem fragments. There is no seed production in New Zealand, with only the female plants of this species being present here
- Features
- Leaves are alternate and curved downwards and 6-20 mm long. Stems are slender, brittle, and much branched.
- Source
- TIFBIS
- Regional
- Regional Pest Management Strategy: BOP*, OTA*, MWT, NSN/TAS, STL, AUK, CAN, HKB, MBH, TKI, WTC.