Salvinia minima Baker
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
New England Distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Despite its name, you are not likely to encounter common watermoss (actually an aquatic fern) in New England, as it has only been collected in the wild once, in 1941 in Massachusetts. It is native to Central and South America, and invasive to some southern states, where it forms dense mats at the water surface, shading out aquatic plants.
Lacustrine (in lakes or ponds), riverine (in rivers or streams)
- New England state
- Features of leaves
- the leaves are hairy, with hairs that branch into four branches near the tip
- New England state
- Specific habitat
- in lakes or ponds
- in rivers or streams
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
New England Distribution and Conservation Status
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
Information from Dichotomous Key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Salvinia minima Baker E
common watermoss. MA. Still or slow-moving water of ponds, streams, and canals. The report of Salvinia natans (L.) Allioni in Norfolk County, MA, by Angelo and Boufford (1996) was based on collections originally determined as Salvinia rotundifolia Willd. (a misapplied name)— 13 Aug 1941, Coffin s.n. ( GH!, NEBC!). The specimens are S. minima, as evidenced by the leaf blades abaxially with hairs 2–3 mm long that have apically distinct branches. A collection from Middlesex County, MA, determined as S. natans, was taken from the Harvard University Greenhouses (i.e., it was taken from cultivated plants)—Jun 1966, Tryon s.n. ( GH!).