Riccia fluitans
Photographs courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.
What is Floating Crystalwort?
Physical Characteristics
- Forming mats under water or floating in tangled clumps
Leaves/Stem:
- Cannot tell the leaves and stem apart
- Branches forking
- Thick
- Less than 0.08 inches wide
Roots:
- Lacking functional roots
- Thin
- Colorless
- Help anchor in mud
Where Does it Grow?
Floating crystalwort can be found in slow-moving streams and ponds.
Pros and Cons of Floating Crystalwort
Floating crystalwort has been widely introduced throughout the US by the aquarium industry. It is a popular aquarium plant. Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.