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Carolina Mosquito Fern

Azolla caroliniana

Azolla Locations In North America
Azolla Locations In the Southeast U.S.


USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.

What is Carolina Mosquito Fern?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • 2 small, overlapping lobes
  • Mostly with clear ends
  • 0.035 in long & 0.024 in wide
  • Upper lobes: oval shape
  • Lower lobes: smooth, larger and paler than upper part

Color:

  • Deep-green to purplish red

Where Does it Grow?

Mosquito fern grows in the still water of swamps, ponds, lakes, and in slow-moving water of streams and resting on mud.

Is it Invasive?

Although Mosquito fern is native, they can be aggressive invaders in quiet ponds and are often found mixed in with duckweed or watermeal. If these fern colonies cover the surface of the water, then oxygen depletion and fish kills can occur. These plants should be controlled before they cover the entire surface of the pond.

Pros and Cons of Carolina Mosquito Fern

Dense colonies of mosquito fern provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. They 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.

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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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