Plant Management in Florida Waters
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Tropical American water grass
Quick Facts
- Scientific name: Luziola subintegra
- Origin: South & Central America to Mexico
- Introduction: First North American report Lake Okeechobee – 2007
- Aquatic community: Emergent
- Habitat: Wet soils to floating mats
- Distribution: Two South Florida lakes
- Management effort: Eradication
- 2017 public waters / plant acres: 2 (< 1%) / 82
- 2017 Waters / acres controlled: 2 / 706
Environmental and Economic Concerns
- Emergent, rooted in the substrate – shallowly submersed floating mats can exist in deep water
- Forms dense rooted stands that can alter habitats and exclude native plants
- Fragments drift into and colonize stands of emergent plants
- overgrow and outcompete other emergent and floating plants, including water hyacinth
- dense floating / drifting mats shade out submersed plants
- restrict water flow and motor boat traffic
- Reproduces by seeds and fragments that drift to and colonize new areas
- contribute to rapid spread and invasiveness
- fragments easily spread by boat traffic and water movement
