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.