Salvinia minima is a species of aquatic, floating fern of
Salviniaceae family native to South America.
The leaves of S. minima are small and oval, ranging
from 0.4 to 2.0 cm in length. The leaves
grow in sets of three, with two leaves floating on the surface and one leaf dissected,
hanging underneath. Fine white hair grow
uniformly on the leaf surface. Brown hairs
present on the underside of leaves. S. minima is rootless.
Salvinia minima is classified as an invasive species on the
Global Invasive Species Database. It can
be a nuisance to recreational watercraft, have adverse affects on fish farming,
rice farming, and poses a serious threat to native species and biodiversity.
Salvinia minima grows on the surface of still freshwater. Although it is sterile, S. minima can reproduce quickly very quickly asexually through
fragmentation. Buds and rhizome
fragments can also remain dormant for long period of time when growth is less
favorable.
S. minima undergoes 3 stages of growth. In the primary stage, the leaves will lie flat
on the water surface. In the secondary
stage, the leaves multiply and curl upward. In the tertiary stage, the leaves become more
dense and almost vertical due of crowding.
S. minima can easily out-compete and inhibit the growth of native water
plants. Mats of S. minima can block sunlight from entering the water. S.
minima, which has no nutritional value, is not favoured by fish or bird
species as a food source.
In order to protect
native ecosystems, numerous effort have been taken to control or eradicate the
growth of Salvinia minima. Herbicides
that have been used with best success include : fluridone, imazamoz, and
penoxsulam. Successful biological control
agent includes Crytobagous salviniae,
the salvinia weevil native to South
America ; and Samea multiplicalis,
the salvinia stem-borer moth native to southern US.
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