feathered mosquito-fern, feathered mosquitofern, feathered mosquitofern, water velvet
- Azolla pinnata is a small fern with a triangular frond that measures up to 1 in. (2.5 cm) in length and floats on the water.
- The frond is made up of many rounded or angular overlapping leaves each 0.08 in. (0.2 cm.) long. They are green, blue-green, or dark red in color and coated in tiny hairs, giving them a velvety appearance. The hairs make the top surface of the leaf water-repellent, allowing the plant to float.
- Ferns do not produce a flower.
- The small fruit is a capsule that can contain up to 64 small spores.
- Ecological Threat
- Azolla pinnata can quickly spread to cover open areas of water. It forms dense surface mats that impede water flow and navigation, and clog irrigation pumps. Mats of Azolla pinnata also reduce oxygen levels and the amount of light available to other aquatic organisms. It can be found in lakes, slow moving rivers and streams, ponds and wetlands.
- Global Invasive Species Database. 2011. Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission
- North Carolina State University
- USDA NRCS PLANTS
- USDA ARS GRIN
Images from Bugwood.org