|
The Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) belongs to the family Salviniaceae. It is an annual or a perennial fern that is native to southern and southeastern Brazil and Argentina in South America. It has now naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions. It is a fern that grows in lakes, marshes, reservoirs and rivers. The stem is about 5 to 10 cm long and has floating and underwater leaves. The floating leaves are 1 to 5 cm wide, entire, have a short petiole and grow in whorls of three. When young, they are ovate-shaped, but when mature, they break along the midrib. The surface is densely covered with short papillae. The underwater leaves have a stipe of around 1 cm in length, and branch out finely to form a root-like structure. In Japan, it is also designated as a "species of special concern" under the Invasive Alien Species Act.
|