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Water Lettuce - Pistia stratiotes
Family: Araceae

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Description

Plants are free-floating herbs that form stolons. The leaves are sessile in a rosette, entire, cuneate to obovate-cuneate to ca. 25 cm long, strongly ribbed and densely pubescent appearing gray-green. During dry seasons, some plants may be found rooted in wet soil. The veins are parallel. The inflorescence has both male and female flowers on a short stalk in the axils of leaves. Sepals and petals are absent. Fruits are many seeded, green berries.

Interesting facts

Plants form many new plantlets on stolons. The seeds are dispersed by water.The species is commonly weedy, forming dense mats and clogging waterways. A weevil and a moth, introduced for biological control of this species, have caused significant reductions in population sizes.

Links to more information

Website, video, and graphics by Rob Nelson
For more information on this plant or management please contact US Army Corp of Engineers

Water Lettuce Video

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