Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
From Bugwoodwiki
Contents |
|
Overview
- Appearance
- Hydrocharis morsus-ranae is a free-floating aquatic plant that resembles a miniature water lily.
- Foliage
- The leaves of the plant are round, and heart shaped, (the size of a Canadian two-dollar coin) with veins coming off the mid-vein that arch broadly following the shape of the leaf. The undersides of the leaves are dark purplish-red and have a spongy coating, which helps the plant float on top of the water.
- Flowers
- It has a single white flower approximately 0.6 in. (1.5 cm) in diameter with three rounded petals and a yellow center.
- Fruit
- Seeds are approximately 0.04 in. (1 mm) long.
- Ecological Threat
- In the fall, Hydrocharis morsus-ranae breaks apart and decomposes, falling to the bottom of the lake. The decomposition of huge volumes of vegetation in the water can deplete dissolved oxygen levels. If there are insufficient amounts of oxygen, fish and other aquatic organisms can die. These thick mats can also impede the movement of large fish and diving ducks.
Resources
Global Invasive Species Database. 2011. Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission [1]
University of Florida, IFAS Extension, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants [2]
Charles R. O’Neill, Jr., Invasive Species Specialist, New York Sea Grant [3]
Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE) [4]
Flora of North America, www.eFloras.org [5]
CABI Invasive Species Compendium [6]
USDA NRCS PLANTS [7]
USDA ARS GRIN [8]
Images from Bugwood.org
