Hydrocharis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| iHydrocharis | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
|
Hydrocharis is a genus of aquatic plants within the family Hydrocharitaceae.
The best known species is Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, commonly called common or European frogbit, and occasionally water-poppy. It is a small floating plant resembling a small water lily. It has submerged roots, and bears small green and white flowers. The small floating leaves are kidney-shaped and grow in rosettes on the water surface. Frogbit is fast growing, and is native to Europe and parts of Asia.
European frogbit was introduced to areas of Canada in the 1930s, and is now considered a pest as it colonises waterways, forming dense masses of vegetation on the surface. It is now considered an invasive menace in eastern Canada and the northeast USA, and particularly around the Great Lakes, where it threatens native biodiversity.
The name "American frogbit" refers to another aquatic plant, Limnobium spongia.
