National Institute for Environmental Studies Invasive Species of Japan Japanese | English
  1. Invasive Species of Japan >
  2. Vascular plants >
  3. Salvinia molesta

Salvinia molesta

Basic information
Scientific name Salvinia molesta

Click to magnify

オオサンショウモ
Common names Giant salvinia, Aquarium water moss, Butterfly fern, Kariba weed
Higher taxon Salviniaceae, Hydropteridales, Filicopsida, Pteridophyta
Natural range Central to South America, Antilles
Habitat Shallow lake, pond, and swamp with sunshine.
Invasion information
Range in Japan This species infested in Hyogo and Okinawa Prefs. in past. Range in Japan
Origin Unknown.
Date Introduction to Japan was around 1950. This species was introduced to Okinawa in middle 1970s, and infestation in a pond was recorded in 2006.
Route Deliberate: For aquarium.
Impact Potentially: Competition with native species. Nutrient enrichment.
Native organism(s) affected: Native aquatic plants, crop plant (rice)
Regulation in Japan No action for prevention, mitigation, control, or eradication.
Introduced range in other countries Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, central Africa, etc.
Reference Notes
  • DECO (ed) (2006) Dictionary of Alien Species. Tokyo-Shoseki, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • McFarland et al. (2004) Salvinia molesta D. S. Mitchell (Giant Salvinia) in the United States: A Review of Species Ecology and Approaches to Management. Aquatic Plant Control Research Program, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. ERDC/EL SR-04-2
  • Ministry of the Environment, Japan. The Invasive Alien Species Act (Accessed on 2011-12-21) http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/as.html (in Jpn)
  • etc.