(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
Aquatic Plants: Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States

Aquatic Plants


Aquatic plants — also called hydrophytic plants or hydrophytes — are plants that have adapted to living in or on aquatic environments. Aquatic vascular plants can be ferns or angiosperms (from a variety of families, including among the monocots and dicots). Seaweeds are not vascular plants but multicellular marine algae. The following species have been reported to be invasive in natural areas in the U.S. Species native to the U.S. are included when they are invasive in areas well outside their known natural ranges, as a result of human activities. For more information on each species, including the listing sources, images, and distribution maps, click on the species.

54 Species

Subject Name Scientific Name Family U.S. Nativity
alligatorweed Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. Amaranthaceae Exotic
giant salvinia Salvinia molesta D. S. Mitchell Salviniaceae Exotic
Brazilian waterweed, Brazilian elodea Egeria densa Planch. Hydrocharitaceae Exotic
common water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms Pontederiaceae Exotic
hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle Hydrocharitaceae Exotic
purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria L. Lythraceae Exotic
parrotfeather Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. Haloragaceae Exotic
Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum L. Haloragaceae Exotic
brittleleaf naiad Najas minor All. Najadaceae Exotic
torpedograss Panicum repens L. Poaceae Exotic
common reed Phragmites australis (Cavanilles) Trinius ex Steudel Poaceae
water lettuce Pistia stratiotes L. Araceae
European water chestnut Trapa natans L. Trapaceae Exotic
water fern Salvinia minima Baker Salviniaceae Exotic
sessile joyweed Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R. Br. ex DC. Amaranthaceae Exotic
miramar weed Hygrophila polysperma (Roxb.) T. Anders. Acanthaceae Exotic
Mediterranean clone of caulerpa Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardth Caulerpaceae Exotic
flowering rush Butomus umbellatus L. Butomaceae Exotic
Carolina fanwort, fanwort Cabomba caroliniana A. Gray Cabombaceae Native
swamp morning-glory Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. Convolvulaceae Exotic
pale yellow iris, yellow flag iris Iris pseudacorus L. Iridaceae Exotic
creeping waterprimrose Ludwigia peploides (Kunth) Raven Onagraceae Native
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea L. Poaceae Exotic
curly leaf pondweed Potamogeton crispus L. Potamogetonaceae Exotic
yellow fieldcress Rorippa sylvestris (L.) Bess. Brassicaceae Exotic
deeprooted sedge Cyperus entrerianus Boeckl. Cyperaceae Exotic
European waterstarwort Callitriche stagnalis Scop. Plantaginaceae Exotic
giant chickweed Myosoton aquaticum (L.) Moench Caryophyllaceae Exotic
crack willow Salix fragilis L. Salicaceae Exotic
narrow-leaved cattail Typha angustifolia L. Typhaceae Exotic
crested floating heart Nymphoides cristata (Roxb.) O. Ktze. Menyanthaceae Exotic
hybrid cattail Typha x glauca Godr. [angustifolia x latifolia] Typhaceae
fragrant waterlily Nymphaea odorata Ait. Nymphaeaceae Native
European frog-bit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L. Hydrocharitaceae Exotic
European water-clover Marsilea quadrifolia L. Marsileaceae Exotic
twoleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum Michx. Haloragaceae Native
yellow floating heart Nymphoides peltata (S.G. Gmel.) Kuntze Menyanthaceae Exotic
American frogbit Limnobium spongia (Bosc) L.C. Rich. ex Steud. Hydrocharitaceae Native
Asian kelp Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar Alariaceae Exotic
common duckweed Lemna minor L. Lemnaceae Native
amphibious yellowcress Rorippa amphibia (L.) Besser Brassicaceae Exotic
watercress Nasturtium officinale R. Brown Brassicaceae Exotic
roundleaf toothcup Rotala rotundifolia (Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb.) Koehne Lythraceae Exotic
water chestnut Trapa L. Trapaceae
didymo, rock snot Didymosphenia geminata (Lyngbye) M. Schmidt Cymbellaceae Exotic
American lotus Nelumbo lutea Willd. Nelumbonaceae Native
bottlebrush Callistemon viminalis (Gaertn.)G.Don ex Loudon Myrtaceae Exotic
Cuban bulrush Oxycaryum cubense (Poepp. & Kunth) Lye Cyperaceae Native
dotted duckmeat Landoltia punctata (G.F.W. Mey.) D.H. Les & D.J. Crawford Araceae Native
rough mannagrass Glyceria maxima (Hartman) Holmb. Poaceae Exotic
watermilfoil Myriophyllum spp. Haloragaceae
European common reed, Phragmites Phragmites australis ssp. australis (Cavanilles) Trinius ex Steudel Poaceae Exotic
waterwheel plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa L. Droseraceae Exotic
two-horned trapa Trapa bispinosa var. iinumaii Nakano Trapaceae Exotic

Please cite as: Swearingen, J., C. Bargeron. 2016 Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. http://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/.