Salvinia auriculata | |
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Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Division: | Polypodiophyta |
Class: | Polypodiopsida |
Order: | Salviniales |
Family: | Salviniaceae |
Genus: | Salvinia |
Species: | S. auriculata
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Binomial name | |
Salvinia auriculata |
Salvinia auriculata is a species of plant in the Salviniaceae known by the common names eared watermoss, [1] African payal ( Malayalam: ആഫ്രിക്കൻ പായൽ), and butterfly fern. [2] It is native to the Americas from Mexico south to Argentina and Chile. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant and it has become naturalized in the wild in some places. [2]
This species is hard to distinguish from other Salvinia. [3] The plant varies in size depending on how crowded it is among other plants. [4]
This plant has long been known as an invasive species. It had infested the Zambezi River by 1949. [5] It is also considered invasive in New-Caledonia. [6]