Field Identification guide

Invasive aquatic plants

Categorized, new and
similar indigenous species

Compiled by:

Debbie Sharp

DEA: EP
 Key to identification guide

1, 2, 3 Category under CARA (red=proposed)

Established plant

Categorised under CARA

New, emerging species

Chemical control methods available

Biological control available

No known control methods available

Minor use and best practice in process

(Categorised under Conservation of Agricultural

Resources Act , 1947)

Minor use applications under Act 36 for herbicide

applications on new/emerging species.
 Arundo donax 1

Giant Spanish reed, Reuse Spaanseriet

D. Sharp
Mature plants on riverbank

Forms dense stands, large, Inflorescence

robust, 2-6m tall, Spear-
shaped compact
inflorescence, perennial ,
grass-like , leaf tips soft and D. Sharp
not firm –like indigenous
reed, Phragmites
mauritianus. Invades
P. mauritianus
watercourses and dry land.
 Pontederia cordata 3

Pickerelweed, Jongsnoekkruid

D. Sharp
D. Sharp

Plant showing arrow-like leaves

Flower spike

Perennial, rooted aquatic, 1-2m

high, forms horizontal rhizomes
and erect emergent stems.
Leaves light green and arrow
shaped. Flowers blue, September
– June. Propagates vegetatively.
CARA category 3
D. Sharp

Mature plant
 Eichhornia crassipes 3

Water hyacinth, Waterhiasint

D. Sharp
D. Sharp

Free-floating, perrenial
aquatic plant. Sometimes
rooted in shallow water.
Forms dense mats, propagates
vegetatively and from seed,
flowers pale blue to violet in
D. Sharp

8-10 spikes, each flower

50mm in diameter. Upper
Large infestation, Roodeplaat dam petal dark blue, with yellow
centre. November – April,
flowers continuously. Found in
dams and slow flowing rivers.
Successful biocontrol and
chemical control. CARA
category 1.
 Pistia stratiotes 1

Water lettuce, Waterslaai

Large infestation

J. Coetzee
D. Sharp

Perennial, mat forming,

Mature plant floating aquatic and
propagates vegetatively and
from seed. Plant has rosette
of leaves resembling an
open cabbage. Leaves hairy,
pale green with prominent
longitudinal veins. Invades
dams, rivers and streams in
CL. Sharp

tropical areas. Flowers all

year, but inconspicuous.
Infestation on Berg River Intense internal irritation
caused when ingested.
Category 1 under CARA.
Successful biocontrol agent
available
 Salvinia molesta 1

Kariba weed, Watervaring

J. Coetzee

CJ Cilliers
Kariba weed infestation

Dense, mat-forming floating

Cage-like hair structures
aquatic fern. Leaves are yellow
to green, oval and in pairs.
Leaves are waterproof and
velvety, dense hairs end in cage-
like structures that trap bubbles,
Modified, featherlike roots.
Invades slow-moving water and
dams in frost-free regions.
Propagates vegetatively only.
Category 1 under CARA,
CL. Sharp

successful biocontrol available

and chemical control not
Mature plant showing leaves and roots
necessary.
Salvinia minima

Small salvinia

CJ Cilliers

CJ Cilliers
Dense mat-forming floating
aquatic fern with oval,
green leaves in whorls of
three. Leaves are small,
8mm wide, waterproof and
velvety, dense hairs end in
L. Henderson

four fingers, free at the tip.

Modified, featherlike roots.
Invades slow-moving water
and dams in frost-free
regions. Propagates
vegetatively only. Not
categorized under CARA,
new species.
 Myriophyllum aquaticum 1

Parrots feather, Waterduisendblaar

D. Sharp
D. Sharp

Parrots feather infestation forming dense mats

Mature plant showing
leaves Rooted, aquatic plant with
terminal, leafy shoots emerging
above water surface. Roots arise
at stem nodes. Leaves green,
finely divided, feather-like,
arranged in whorls of 4-6.
D. Sharp

Flowers cream, inconspicuous,

only female plants in SA.
Lysathia sp. feeding damage Category 1 in CARA. Successful
biocontrol and chemical control
available.
 Azolla filiculoides 1

Red water fern, Rooiwatervaring

CJ Cilliers
CJ Cilliers

Adult plants

Adult plants Perennial, mat-forming ,

aquatic fern, appearing circular
in outline and not pyramidal
like the indigenous A. pinnata.
Root tips often coiled. Leaves
silvery-green, turning reddish,
brown or purplish in winter.
CJ Cilliers

Leaves ovate to almost circular.

Minute fruiting bodies in axis of
Large Infestation leaves. October – February.
Category 1 under CARA,
Successful biocontrol available,
chemical control not necessary
 Azolla microphylla 1

Tropical red water fern, Tropiese rooiwatervaring

J. Coetzee

J. Coetzee
A microphylla mat

Large Infestation

Perennial, mat-forming, floating

aquatic fern similar to A.
filiculoides but smaller and roots
with conspicuous root caps.
Prefers tropical areas such as
J. Coetzee

lowveld of Mpumalanga, Limpopo

and coastal KZN. Proposed
Adult plants close up category 1 under CARA and
NEMBA. Potential successful
biocontrol
 Azolla pinnata asiatica 1

Mosquito fern

J. Coetzee

Adult plants close up

This Azolla species is

also invasive in South
Africa but has only
been found in KZN to
date. Proposed
category 1 under CARA J. Coetzee

and NEMBA.
Infestation, Tinley manor, KZN
 Nymphaea mexicana 1
Yellow water lily, Geelwaterlelie

NV Kroon
Floating plants with yellow flower
Rooted, perennial floating aquatic
macrophyte. Flowers bright yellow
fragrant, with pointed petals,
cultivars have pale yellow flowers
with more rounded petals. Upper
surface of leaves green with brown
blotches. Rhizomes, vertical, stout
and knobbly, connected with
horizontal stolons. Pale, long spongy
roots anchor mass. Invades
riverbanks and dam edges.
Reproduction by vegetative stolons.
Proposed category 1 under CARA and
NEMBA. Not to be confused with
indigenous spp – Nymphoides
thunbergiana, Nymphaea capensis,
and N. nouchali.
 Lythrum salicaria 1

Purple loosestrife

J. Coetzee
E. van Wyk

Flowers
Flowers showing dense spikes
E. van Wyk

Plant showing leaves

Rooted, perennial aquatic

weed. Flowers are purple in
dense spikes. Emerging species
E. van Wyk

with minor use registrations.

Limited populations currently,
in Liesbeeck River in Cape
Mature plants Town. Highly aggressive and
has potential to invade other
systems. Declared category 1
under CARA
 Sagittaria platyphylla 1
Delta arrow weed

H. Sithole

H. Sithole
Mature plant

Flowers

Perennial aquatic herb up to

1.5m tall with creeping stolons.
Submerged leaves narrow,
strap-like, emergent leaves
wider, pointed and abruptly
narrowed into triangular petiole.
H. Sithole

Upright flowering stems. 2-12

whorls, white 3-petalled male
Rooted plants flowers above small, green,
petalless female flowers.
Propagates by seed, creeping
stolons, corms, entire floating
plants. Proposed category 1
under CARA and NEMBA.
 Myriophyllum spicatum 1
Spiked water-milfoil

J. Coetzee

J. Coetzee
Mature plant showing flower bud

Mat easily identified by algae on

water’s surface

Rooted, submerged aquatic

Raymond Newman

plant, except for leafless

flowering shoots. Propagates
vegetatively and from seeds,
Spiked water milfoil mat stems are up to 3m long with
few and small roots but forms
dense impenetrable mats.
Leaves are olive green, finely
divided and arranged in whorls
of 4-6. Flowers cream, small,
female and male, arranged in
whorls on emergent spikes
J. Coetzee

100mm long. Fruits are small

nuts. Category 1 under CARA.
Registered herbicides but
Mature plant showing fine whorled leaves currently no biocontrol.
 Cabomba caroliniana 1
Fanwort, Cabomba

J. Coetzee
J. Coetzee
Flower

C. caroliniana mat Rooted, submerged, perennial

aquatic weed. Branching stems
2m or longer. Leaves are mainly
submerged, fan-like opposite/in
whorls. Few floating leaves,
usually associated with
flowering. Solitary
white/pinkish flowers,
J. Coetzee

emergent, 3-petalled. Not to be

confused with Ceratophyllum
demersum that has toothed leaf
Mature plant margins & inconspicuous
flowers in leaf axils. Invades
rivers lakes and dams. Proposed
category 1 under CARA and
NEMBA. Ornamental pond
plant. Not recorded as
established in SA.
 Elodea canadensis 1
Canadian waterweed, Kanadese waterpes

CJ Cilliers
Plant showing leaves in whorls of three

Submerged, rooted aquatic

plant with slender stems in
Dan Minchin

excess of 3m. Leaves green,

finely serrated, 15mm long
usually in whorls of 3, rarely 4.
Mature plant Cream to yellow flowers, 3
petals on long threadlike
stalks that float. Invades
lakes, ponds and rivers.
Category 1 under CARA.
Ornamental in aquarium
trade. Chemical control
available, but no biocontrol.
Not recorded as established in
SA.
 Hydrilla verticillata 1
Hydrilla

A.Bownes
D. Sharp

Hydrilla infestation
Plant showing leaves in whorls of six

Submerged, rooted aquatic

weed, can fragment, fragments
survive in free-floating mats.
J. Coetzee

Leaves are 2-4mm wide, 6-

20mm long, in whorls of 3-8.
Vegetative propagule Leaf margins distinctly
serrated, midrib often red.
Current research on chemical
and biocontrol. Proposed
category 1 under CARA and
NEMBA
D. Sharp

Hydrilla mass
 Persicaria amphibia

Water knotweed

D. Sharp

Flowers

D. Sharp
Mature plant

Rooted perennial
aquatic weed with thick
stems arising from
rhizomes. Stems creep,
D. Sharp

grow erect or float and

root at nodes and up to
Knotweed infestation, Mearns weir 3m long. Lance-shaped
leaves borne on
petioles. Inflorescence
dense terminal clusters
of many 5-lobed pink
flowers
 Valisneria spiralis

Tape grass, Eelgrass

D. Sharp

D. Sharp
Tape grass mat Female spiral peduncle and juvenile plant
and

Floridaaquatic.com
Female flower, closed and open
D. Sharp

Submerged, rooted aquatic weed

with rosettes of long strap-like
leaves up to 5m, arising from base.
Stout rhizomes with numerous
roots up to 40cm long. Male
flowers free floating with female
Mature plant flowers on spiral peduncle.
Current research on chemical
control
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

D. Sharp

D. Sharp
Working for water

Ceratophyllum demersum
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

Luirig.altervista.org

Capel.verygrreen.co.uk

Lagarosiphon major
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

L. Henderson
L. Henderson

L. Henderson

Lagarosiphon verticilifolia
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

Zimbabweflora.co.zw
D. Sharp
Fleurs.cirad.fr

Ludwigia stolonifera
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

D. Sharp

D. Sharp
D. Sharp

Nymphoides thunbergiana
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

Botany.cz
Biolib.cz

wikipedia

Potamogeton crispus
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

D. Sharp

D. Sharp
D. Sharp

Aponogeton distachyos
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

Biopix.eu

wikipedia

Potamogeton pectinatus
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

D. Sharp

D. Sharp
D. Sharp

Phragmites mauritianus
INDIGENOUS SPECIES NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH INVASIVES

D. Sharp

D. Sharp

Potamogeton schweinfurthii
 References

Henderson, L. and Cilliers, C.J. 2004. Invasive Aquatic Plants. A guide

to the identification of the most important and potentially
dangerous invasive aquatic plants in South Africa. PPRI handbook
no. 16

Henderson, L. 2010. SAPIA news no. 15

Henderson, L. 2010. SAPIA news no.17

Henderson, L. 2012. SAPIA News No. 24

www.realtech.co.za/realwiki.php. The resource Library, Persicaria

amphibia

Information compiled by D. Sharp with assistance from L. Henderson, J.

Coetzee and A. Bownes.