Sagittaria platyphylla
Photo: Matt Salmond
Unwanted Organism, National Pest Plant Accord
Sagittaria platyphylla
- Scientific Name
- Sagittaria platyphylla
- Origin
- Native to North America
- Type
- Weed
- Plant Life-form Type
- Marginal erect/tall
- Taxonomy
- (Engelmann) Smith
- Presence
- Locally naturalised, first record from North Shore, Auckland in 1989.
- Habitat
- Still and slow flowing water bodies and wetlands.
- Temperature (°C)
- 15 - 25
- pH range
- 7.2 - 8.0
- Hardness (ppm)
- 100 - 200
- Light
- Medium
- Height
- 200 - 500mm
- Difficulty
- Less Demanding
- Notes
- Problem in still and flowing water bodies, massive seed output, therefore important to attempt early eradication. A major irrigation weed in Victoria. A swamp plant 20 - 50cm tall from the Mississippi River valley.Submerged leaves as illustrated are 10 - 25cm long & up to 3cm wide relatively thick & turgent & prone to snap (like celery). Emerged leaves are oval to heart-shaped never arrow-shaped.
- Propagation
- Spreads by water dispersed seed, rhizomes, and tubers. Also deliberate planting
- Features
- Emergent perennial herb. Submerged leaves are strap-shaped, 10-50 cm long and 3 cm wide with clearly visible longitudinal veins. Leaves above the water have a long petiole (about 40 cm) which is triangular in cross section and a lance-shaped leaf blade. Flowers are white with 3 petals and about 6 cm across. Tubers form on rhizomes.
- Source
- TIFBIS
- Regional
- Regional Pest Management Strategy: AUK, MWT, WGN, WKO.