Salvinia molesta

Common Name: giant salvinia

Family: Salviniaceae

Common Synonyms: none

USDA Hardiness Zone: 8a-11

Growth Habit: Floating Aquatic Herb

Origin: Brazil

FISC Category: -

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: Yes

Introduction Date: Earliest Florida specimen vouchered in 2000.

IFAS Assessment:

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

Description

Floating fern, mat forming, with rootless stems to 10 cm long. Leaves born in 3s, appear distichous (third leaf resembling roots), rounded to broadly elliptic, to 1.5 to 3 cm long and wide, often folded along the midrib, base cordate, hairy on both surfaces, papilla on upper surface with 4 distal hairs joined at the tips (resembling a basket).

Habitat

Lake, river

Comments

Vouchered only in 2 counties. Noxious weed in other regions. Spread by watercraft. Targeted for immediate eradication whenever found.

Control Methods

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

Control Notes

No specific treatments available.

References

IFAS, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. 2013. Giant Salvinia, Salvinia molesta. http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/396. Accessed on December 9, 2013.

IFAS, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. 2013. Weed Alert: Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta). http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/weedalert/invasiveplants_giantsalvinia.pdf. Accessed on December 9, 2013.

Dave's Garden. 2013. PlantFiles: Giant Salvinia, Salvinia molesta. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55956/. Accessed on December 9, 2013.