Monilophytes (ferns): Leptosporangiate Ferns (true ferns): Salviniales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Salvinia molesta
FAMILY
Salviniaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
See herbarium specimens at the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
See more pictures at www.invasive.org.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Learn more about Giant Salvinia from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Leaves borne in 3s; appear 2-ranked, but with 3rd leaf finely dissected and dangling, resembling roots. Read more at Center for Aquatic & Invasive Plants.
Salvinia is a floating aquatic, with leaves borne in whorls of three, two of which are the conspicuous floating leaves, to 5 cm long, and round or elliptical; the third leaf is dissected and pendant into the water. S. molesta is considered a noxious aquatic weed. Read more in Weakley's Flora (2023).
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Salvinia molesta
FAMILY
Salviniaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Salvinia ×molesta
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Salvinia molesta
SYNONYMOUS WITH The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas (Diggs & Lipscomb, 2014)
Salvinia molesta
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Salvinia molesta
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 2 (1993)
Salvinia molesta
(?) -
Salvinia adnata
COMMON NAME:
Giant Salvinia, Kariba Weed
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Keith Bradley kab_s_molesta_78612
August Quebec, Canada
)
Keith Bradley kab_s_molesta_78612b
August Quebec, Canada
)
Keith Bradley kab_s_molesta_78618
August Quebec, Canada
)
Keith Bradley kab_s_molesta_78620
August Quebec, Canada
)
Ted D. Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org bug_0002132
Month Unknown
Dense, rapidly growing surface mats block sun to bottom plants and animals, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).
COMPARE
aquatic plants
)
Barry Rice, sarracenia.com, Bugwood.org bug_5391745
Month Unknown
Hairs of upper leaf w 4 branches joined at tips, forming a cage-like structure, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Barry Rice, sarracenia.com, Bugwood.org bug_5391745b
Month Unknown
Hairs on the leaf surface are shaped like egg beaters, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).
COMPARE
Salvinia species
)
Robert Vidéki, Doronicum Kft, Bugwood.org bug_5396833
Month Unknown
Shade-grown leaves lie flat; sunlight and crowding cause crumpling, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).
)
Robert Vidéki, Doronicum Kft, Bugwood.org bug_5399577
Month Unknown
)
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org bug_5457880
Month Unknown
Perhaps introduced as plants sold to aquarium and koi pond owners, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Salvinia molesta
FAMILY
Salviniaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Salvinia molesta
FAMILY
Salviniaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Salvinia ×molesta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Salvinia molesta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas (Diggs & Lipscomb, 2014)
Salvinia molesta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Salvinia molesta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 2
Salvinia molesta
(?)
-
Salvinia adnata
1309
Fern/Fern ally; Floating aquatic (rootless)
Annual/Perennial
Habitat: Still waters of farm ponds, calcareous seepage ponds, and other situations, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Brazil
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences Team: New Invaders of the Northeast
- Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences Team: New Invaders of the Southeast
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- SC Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Nuisance Species List, 2003
- SC List of Regulated Pest Plant Species, 2017
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2009
- USDA Federal Noxious Weeds, 091820
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2014
LEAVES:
Two simple, floating emergent leaves; & a third, divided underwater leaf
Whorls of 3
FRUIT:
Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas (Diggs & Lipscomb, 2014) p291
- Ferns of Alabama (Short & Spaulding, 2012) p299
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007) p439
- Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina (Smith, 2008) p100
- New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral US (Rawlins et al., 2018) p107
- New Invaders of the Southeast (Rawlins et al., 2018) p101
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