fr:Salviniacée

Giant salvinia
The fern Salvinia molesta floating on a pond surface
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Pteridophyta Class: Pteridopsida Order: Marsileales Family: Salviniaceae Genus: Salvinia Species: molesta
Binomial name
Salvinia molesta

Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta), is an aquatic fern, native to Brazil. It is invasive weed in many parts of the world.

The fern grows extremely quickly, capable of starting from small fragments and doubling in population size every few days, with the result that the surface of ponds, reservoirs, and lakes are covered by a floating mat up to 2 feet thick. The growth blocks sunlight needed by other aquatic plants and especially algae to oxygenate the water.

A tiny weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae, is under study as a biocontrol.

External link

• Wildland Invasive Species Team - Weed alert (http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/alert/alrtsalv.html)