Native & Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas & Georgia

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711

Submersed aquatic (rooted); Forb
Perennial
Dioecious (a monoecious form exists north of SC)

Non-native: Old World

Documented growing wild in GA NC SC

Uncommon, but often locally abundant

Look for it in ponds, lakes, rivers, per Weakley's Flora

map
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INVASIVE

This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:

 

Aquatic

LEAVES:
Simple
Whorls of 4-8

FLOWER:
Summer
Whitish sepals & translucent petals in female flowers, male reddish-brown
3 sepals in pistillate flowers
3 petals in pistillate flowers
Flowers solitary on elongate flexuous stalks

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Alismatales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA (11/30/12):
 Hydrilla verticillata   FAMILY Hydrocharitaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
 Hydrilla verticillata   FAMILY Hydrocharitaceae

 

COMMON NAME:
 Hydrilla

Click or hover over the thumbnails to see larger pictures.

image of Hydrilla verticillata, Hydrilla

Keith Bradley    kab_h_verticillata_74746

June    Miami-Dade County    FL

South Dade Wetlands

Stems and leaves near the surface look like bottle brushes, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control.

click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE aquatic plants

image of Hydrilla verticillata, Hydrilla

JK Marlow    jkm160914_166

September        

SE-EPPC Aquatic Plant ID Workshop

Fresh leaves noticeably rough to the touch, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Hydrilla verticillata, Hydrilla

JK Marlow    jkm160914_166b

September        

SE-EPPC Aquatic Plant ID Workshop

Leaves mostly 1-2cm long, with stout sharp teeth on margins and midrib beneath, per Weakley's Flora.