Pistia stratiotes
COMMON NAME | Water cabbage,
water lettuce, Nile cabbage, or shellflower |
TYPE | Aquatic Plant |
FAMILY | Araceae |
NOTES | It produces rosettes
(4-6” across) of wedge-shaped, overlapping, fluted, velvety, soft green
leaves covered with water-repellant hairs. Plants resemble small open heads
of lettuce. New plants are formed at the ends of stolons radiating outward from
the mother plant. Water lettuce is among the world's most productive
freshwater aquatic plants and is considered an invasive species |
GEOGRAPHIC REGION | Its native distribution is uncertain,
but probably pantropical |
NATIVE HABITAT | Floats on the surface
of the water, its roots hanging submersed beneath floating leaves |
WEB SOURCES |
