Water lettuce
Pistia stratiotes
family
Araceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
Category 3 Restricted Matter (Biosecurity Act 2014)
Must not be distributed or disposed. This means it must not be released into the environment unless the distribution or disposal is authorised in a regulation or under a permit.
Common names
Water lettuce, Pistia, Floating aroid, Nile cabbage, Tropical duckweed, Shell flower, Water cabbage.
A free-floating plant forming lettuce-like rosettes up to 30 cm across. Its feathery roots dangle below the water surface. The leafy rosettes produce runners up to 60 cm long, which in turn produce new rosettes. Its fan-shaped leaves have several prominently ribbed veins on their undersides and are covered in white velvety hairs. Separate male and female flowers are arranged in a tiny column-like flower cluster.
Impact
Impact
Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is regarded as a significant environmental weed in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT and Western Australia. It was recently listed as a priority environmental weed in at least one Natural Resource Management region, and is also listed in the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD).
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is regarded as a significant environmental weed in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT and Western Australia. It was recently listed as a priority environmental weed in at least one Natural Resource Management region, and is also listed in the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD).
