New Unknown Plant

[PSi4EVA]

Hi,

I was around at Rod Wallaces store (I done the Sydney trip) and decided to grab a plant whilst I was in there. He told me what it was but for the life of me I can't remember and cant seem to find any similar.

If anyone has any ideas on what it is or where to find information it would be muchly appreciated.

Regards,

Scott

[YeW]

Salvinia (its a fern )

[anchar]

Hi,

Salvinia has been declared a noxious plant for the whole of Australia (came from South America).It chokes waterways and kills natives (harbours disease-bearing vectors and reduces water quality). Don't dispose of any excess in the creek. :o

merjo

[Brett4Perth]

harbours disease-bearing vectors and reduces water quality

I presume you mean mossies, but what water quality are you refering to merjo? :rolleyes:

Brett

[anchar]

Hi Brett,

By choking the waterways, it reduces water flow and causes stagnant pockets. This limited flow will also cause nutrient enrichment to occur ie. causing algal blooms etc. and intensifying the effect of fertilizers that have found their way into the river system.

It also prevents the sunlight from penetrating the surface so native plants (submerged and emergent) die off. This reduces O2, kills fish etc. It can double the area it covers in 5-10 days under optimum conditions so it is very invasive, and can displace native species.

It is also transported to appropriate habitats by waterbirds where they adapt quite readily (many of these new areas have been created either intentionally or otherwise for agriculture and the natives are no longer adapted to that new environment).

It is partially under control in some tropical and warm temperate climates, due to the introduction of insects (Cyrtobagous salviniae - a type of weevil).

HTH explain a little more without me going on for ever.

merjo

[PSi4EVA]

Whilst this would effect the equalibrium of a river, lake, stream. Would it be dangerous in a controled aquatic environment ? From my understanding, whilst it can reduce the light, wouldn't the plant absorb alot of the nutrients and nitrates, reducing very frequent water changes, and controlling algae blooms ?

Cheers,

Scott

[anchar]

Hi Scott,

Would it be dangerous in a controlled aquatic environment

The key word there is controlled. No not dangerous and no threat to the environment. It possibly will help control nitrates to some extent ( I have Lemna minor in my tanks and it does help somewhat). The fish will probably nibble at the floating roots too. I don't recommend using it to replace frequent water changes though.

merjo

[Brett4Perth]

Appropriately managed floating aquatic plants generally improve water quality.

As Merjo rightly pointed out, they can be extremely distructive to nateral waterways, but this is largely a mechanical effect. Some floating plants have even been used to assist with waste water treatment. They suck up nutrients, are relatively easy to harvest, multiply rapidly. The main problem I find is that they are extremely difficult to completely eradicate when you no longer want them. You always seem to miss one or two leaves ... and its off growing again :D

Cheers

Brett

[YeW]

It is also interesting in that it (along with Azolla) is one of the VERY few heterosporous ferns! 99.9% are homosporous .

[PSi4EVA]

Hi YeW,

When you said it is an heterosporous fern, what does that mean?

Cheers,

Scott

[YeW]

Hi Psi -

This will be SCP|Botany 101 so anyone not interested please turn off now :D.

Almost all extant ferns are homosporous... this effectively means they produce one type of spore. If you look under the leaves of ferns you'll often see little brown dots (sori) these sori contain the sporangia of the fern (which are basically spore bearing structures)

--remember that ferns (unlike flowering plants) dont have seeds, they have spores--

These spores germinate and give rise of a bisexual gametophyte (which is a nasty sounding thing... Lung, please don't post here LOL!). Basically this is a multicellular haploid stage of the lifecycle (haploid=1 copy of the genetic material, think sperm & eggs in animals).

Anyway this gametophyte produces two kinds of sex cells (by mitosis (NOT meiosis)) sperm and eggs on the one structure. The sperm swim through a film of water and fertilise the eggs....yup, plant sperm swim, spooky :.

Heterosporous ferns are different in that the spores they produce separate male and female bits .

[PSi4EVA]

Wow YeW, that was a very interesting post Little mind bogling with some of the words, but I got the general idea. No wonder they can reporduce so fast. After a few re-productions, the size of the heterosporous ferns could just be astronomical.

Also I thought it was only mushrooms and fungus that used spores to reproduce, another interesting fact for a trivia night.

Thanks for the Bio-101 :D

Cheers,

Scott

[YeW]

Hi Scott -

I think their main mode of reproduction is via asexual means ie: growth & fragmentation .

Spores may be produced by the millions - but most do not grow... otherwise we'd be up to our necks in them.

Cheers -