Hydrocharis laevigata

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Alismatales

Familia: Hydrocharitaceae
Genus: Hydrocharis
Species: Hydrocharis laevigata
Name

Hydrocharis laevigata (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Byng & Christenh., 2018
Synonyms

Heterotypic
Hydromystria stolonifera G.Mey., Prim. Fl. Esseq.: 153 (1818).
Jalambicea repens Cerv. in P.de La Llave & J.M.de Lexarza, Nov. Veg. Descr. 2: 12 (1825).
Limnobium sinclairii Benth., Bot. Voy. Sulphur: 175 (1846).
Trianea bogotensis H.Karst., Linnaea 28: 425 (1857).
Limnobium stoloniferum (G.Mey.) Griseb., Fl. Brit. W. I.: 506 (1862).
Hydrocharella echinospora Spruce ex Benth. & Hook.f., Gen. Pl. 3: 452 (1883).
Limnobium bogotense (H.Karst.) G.Nicholson, Ill. Dict. Gard. 4: 477 (1888).
Hydrocharis stolonifera (G.Mey.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 3(2): 297 (1898).
Hydromystria sinclairii (Benth.) Hauman, Anales Mus. Nac. Buenos Aires 27: 326 (1915).
Limnobium laevigatum (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Heine, Adansonia, n.s., 8: 315 (1968).
Trianea neovisae Romero, Mutisia 38: 11 (1973).
Hydromystria laevigata (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Hunz., Lorentzia 4: 5 (1981).
Limnobium spongia subsp. laevigatum (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Lowden, Rhodora 94: 129 (1992).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Mexico to Tropical America
Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Bolivia, Brazil North, Chile Central, Chile South, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Leeward Is., Mexico Central, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, Windward Is.
Introduced into:
California, Japan, Jawa, New South Wales, Queensland, Spain, Taiwan, Western Australia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Byng, J.W. & Christenhusz, M.J.M., 2018. Global Fl. 4: 53.

Additional references

Govaerts, R., Nic Lughadha, E., Black, N., Turner, R. & Paton, A. 2021. The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8(215): 1–10. DOI: 10.1038/s41597-021-00997-6 Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Hydrocharis laevigata in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Oct 24. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Hydrocharis laevigata in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Oct 24. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Hydrocharis laevigata. Published online. Accessed: Oct 24 2021.
Tropicos.org 2021. Hydrocharis laevigata. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 24 Oct 2021.
Hassler, M. 2021. Hydrocharis laevigata. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2021. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Oct 24. Reference page.

Limnobium laevigatum is a floating aquatic plant, and is a member of the family Hydrocharitaceae. Common names include West Indian spongeplant,[1] South American spongeplant and Amazon or smooth frogbit. This plant was introduced to North American waterways through use in aquariums and aquascapes.

Plant origin and distribution

Spongeplant originates from fresh water habitats of tropical and subtropical Central and South America. In California it has been introduced as an ornamental pond plant, and has escaped into greater waterways including areas surrounding Redding and Arcata, the Sacramento river delta and the San Joaquin River, and ponds and irrigation canals.
Description

Limnobium laevigatum is a floating aquatic plant, which can be mistaken for water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) due to their superficial similarity. Juvenile plants grow in rosettes of floating leaves that lie prostrate upon the water surface, a distinguishing character of the juvenile plant is the presence of spongy aerenchyma tissue upon the abaxial surface (underside) of the leaf. Mature plants grow up to 50 cm tall, and have emergent leaves borne on petioles that are not swollen or inflated like the spongy leaf stalks of water hyacinth, which aid in buoyancy. Spongeplant produces stolons which bear gametes. Flowers are small, white, and unisexual. Female flowers have an inferior ovary, the fruit is a fleshy capsule 4–13 mm long and 2–5 mm in diameter, and seeds are 1 mm long, ellipsoid, and hairy. Limnobium laevigatum, or Smooth Frogbit can be distinguished from Limnobium spongia, American frogbit, by flower and leaf characteristics as well as range. The flowers of both species vary greatly over their ranges. American frogbit is not known to occur in western states unlike smooth frogbit. American frogbit in general has more cordate-based floating leaves, while smooth frogbit generally has more spatulate floating leaves.
Plant reproduction

Limnobium laevigatum can reproduce and distribute sexually through flower pollination and seed production, and also vegetatively through fragmentation of stolon segments. The juvenile plants have a great capacity for distribution in that they are small, they float and can be easily and quickly carried along by water currents.
Aquascape use
Amazon frogbit in aquascaping or aquarium
Amazon Frogbit in aquaculture

Amazon Frogbit in captivity has two hazards to its health which aquarium owners can avoid: (1) water droplets on the tops of the leaves can rot the plant (they must be kept dry), and (2) some species of aquatic snail appear to like to eat the spongy material on the bottoms of the plant leaves (keep them near the center of the tank, not against the glass on the edges.) [2]
Limnobium Management

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) crews which already manage other invasive aquatic plants including Hydrilla verticillata and Eichhornia crassipes have focused efforts upon Limnobium laevigatum. The CDFA has carried out detection and mapping of spongeplant throughout California, with a focus upon irrigation canals in the San Joaquin valley. Treatments have included mechanical and hand removal and application of appropriate aquatic herbicides including diquat and glyphosate upon remaining plants.
References

USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Limnobium laevigatum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 21 June 2015.

Thilina Prasanga, Doremure Gamage (2022-01-24). "Amazon Frogbit As A Floating Aquarium Plant". Pet Fish 101. Retrieved 2022-01-24.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hydrocharis laevigata.

DiTomaso, J. M. and E. Healy, 2003. Aquatic and Riparian Weeds of the West. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources publication number 3421. 6701 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94608-1239
Anderson, Lars, and Pat Akers. "Spongeplant: A New Aquatic Weed Threat in the Delta." Cal-IPC News 19.1 (2011): 4-5. Print.
Akers, Pat. The California Department Of Food and Agriculture Hydrilla Eradication Program Annual Progress Report 2009.