Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Habit:  aquatic fern

Description:  "Floating fern with hairy stems.  Uppermost (floating) leaves entire at apex, to 1.2 cm long, broader than long with margins curving upwards and inwards; upper leaf surfaces with papillae in irregularly curved rows, the tips not joined.  Sporocarps form on the submerged, rootlike lower leaves.  This species is similar to the serious weed Salvinia molesta.  The characters of S. molesta are leaves longer than broad with deeply indented leaf apices; the papillae hairs are joined at their tips to form a cage-like structure"  (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 91-92).  See also Salvinia natans.

Habitat/ecology:  "Slow-moving freshwatrer bodies, rice fields" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 91-92).

Propagation:  "Vegetative fragments and spores spread by water. Human activities and perhaps water birds are also responsible for spread of plants" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 91-92).

Native range:  India to Southeast Asia (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)		Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (p. 92)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)		U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)		U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Comments:  "A principal weed of Indonesia and Thailand. A weed of rice and open waters. Harbours the Mansonia mosquito in Sri Lanka." (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 91-92).

Additional information:
Additional online information about Salvinia cucullata is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Salvinia cucullata as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Salvinia cucullata may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. 1998. Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy: weeds target list. Second edition. Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service, Miscellaneous Publication No. 6/98. 110 pp.