Nymphoides cristata

Common Name: crested floatingheart

Family: Menyanthaceae

Common Synonyms: none

USDA Hardiness Zone: 8 to 13

Growth Habit: Rooted aquatic

Origin: Eastern India, Vietnam, and southern China

FISC Category: 1

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: Yes

Introduction Date: Late 1900s

IFAS Assessment:

• North: PROHIBITED
• Central: PROHIBITED
• South: PROHIBITED

Description

A rooted, floating-leaved aquatic plant with slender, tapered clusters of tuberous roots on the underside of its floating leaves. Flowers are held on stalks above the leaves and are white with five petals. Each petal bears an erect fold of tissue that runs the length the upper side. Fruits are capsules to 6 mm long, each containing up to 20 seeds. Also forms bulbils on the underside of the leaves.

Habitat

Ponds, lakes, and canals

Comments

Introduced for the aquatic plant nursery trade and currently still available for purchase. Spreads extremely fast. In South Carolina, an infestation was reported to grow from 20 acres to 2,000 acres in 5 years.

Control Methods

• Manual: NA
• Chemical: NA
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

No known insect herbivores, and grass carp are ineffective. Drawdowns and mechanical harvest are not effective. Although more testing is needed, it appears that foliar treatments of flumioxazin+glyphosate mixtures are the most effective.

References

Texasinvasive.org., Invasives Database: http://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=NYCR. Accessed on 04 January 2017

Glomski, L.M., L.N. Willey, M.D. Netherland. 2014. The efficacy of protox-inhibiting herbicides alone and in combination with glyphosate to control crested floating heart. J Aquat. Plant Manage. 52: 90-92

University of Florida IFAS Extension. 2015. Aquatic Weeds: Crested Floating Heart (Nymphoides cristata). http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag354#FIGURE 9. Accessed on 04 January 2017