Limnocharis flava (L.) Buchenau, Alismataceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Alisma flavum L.; Limnocharis emarginata Humb. & Bonpl.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: huang hua lin

English: limnocharis, sawah-flower rush, sawah-lettuce, velvetleaf, yellow bur-head

Spanish: cebolla de chucho

Habit:  aquatic herb

Description:  "Perennial plants from a short thick erect rhizome, the scapes erect, 20-40 cm high; leaves erect or ascending, not floating, often exceeding the scapes, long-petiolate, the petiole vaginate; leaf blades variable in shape, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic in Central American plants, sometimes broadly ovate in other regions, mostly 8-18 cm long, acute to rounded at the apex, attenuate at the base; inflorescences umbelliform, 2-12-flowered, the pedicels 3-4 cm long, somewhat dilated and trigonous above; flowers yellow, about 1.5 cm broad, the sepals green, broadly ovate, obtuse; petals broadly ovate or suborbicular, longer than the sepals; mature follicles about 1 cm long" (Standley & Steyermark, 1958; p. 84).

Habitat/ecology:  Wet areas. "Fresh water pools, rice paddies and irrigation ditches.  It is a serious weed of rice in Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka." (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 49-50). "Forms dense, choking infestations" (Smith, 2002; p. 92).

In New Caledonia, "peu cultivé à présent et introduit paraît-il récemment en provenance d'Indonésie" (MacKee, 1994; p. 94).

Propagation:  "By seed and vegetative shoots.  Water dispersed.  It is an attractive plant and can be spread by aquatic plant enthusiasts.  It is also eaten as a green vegetable in South-East Asia and has been moved by people for this purpose." (Smith, 2002; p. 92).

Native range:  Southern Mexico, Central and South America (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 94) Voucher cited: MacKee 38728

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M (2003) (p. 481) Subject of an eradication program.
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (pp. 49-50)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Naturalized in marshes and shallow water; 600-700 m. Guangdong, S. Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 291)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (pp. 49-50)
Indonesia Indonesia	West Papua Province (Indonesia) (western New Guinea Island) (formerly Irian Jaya)	introduced invasive cultivated	Waterhouse, B. M (2003) (p. 481)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (pp. 49-50)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Negara Brunei Darussalam Brunei	Brunei (Negara Brunei Darussalam)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (pp. 49-50)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (pp. 49-50)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 55) Naturalised
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (pp. 49-50)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (pp. 49-50)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Limnocharis flava, please let us know.