Salvinia molesta (Salviniaceae) African payal, aquarium water-moss, giant salvinia, kariba weed, salvinia, water fern

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"This fern is grown in garden ponds and aquaria and is known to be in cultivation in the [Hawaiian] Islands. It escapes from cultivation and invades aquatic fresh water bodies where is grows aggressively, rapidly becoming a serious pest." (http://www.rsabg.org/herbarium/ferns/wilsonferns/sal_mol.html, accessed 21 September 2005)  

Species description or overview

Taxonomy & nomenclature

ITIS nomenclature info for Salvinia molesta
Nomenclatural information about Salvinia molesta is provided by ITIS.

IPNI nomenclature info for Salvinia molesta
Nomenclatural information about Salvinia molesta is provided by The International Plant Names Index (IPNI).

Pest alerts

Weed alert for Salvinia molesta (giant salvinia, kariba weed) (info from TNC)
This Honolulu Advertiser article (17 Feb. 2001) discusses the possibility of caffeine being able to control coqui frogs on the Big Island (Hawaii).

Impacts

Control methods

Weed alert for Salvinia molesta (giant salvinia, kariba weed) (info from TNC)
This Honolulu Advertiser article (17 Feb. 2001) discusses the possibility of caffeine being able to control coqui frogs on the Big Island (Hawaii).

Pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia solani on Salvinia 
Rhizoctonia solani causes lesions on Salvinia and may have potential as a biocontrol of the invasive aquatic weed (Rayachhetry, M.B., T.R. Center, T.D. Center, P. Tipping, P.D. Pratt, and T.K., Van. 2002. First report of the pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia solani on Salvinia molesta and S. minima in Florida. Plant Disease 86:813.)

Images of Cyrtobagous salviniae (salvinia weevil)
Images of Cyrtobagous salviniae (salvinia weevil) are presented by The Bugwood Network.

Images

Smithsonian Flora of the Hawaiian Islands info for Salvinia molesta
RECORD AUTO-GENERATED VIA SHF.SSL (Smithsonian Hawaiian Flora)

Weed alert for Salvinia molesta (giant salvinia, kariba weed) (info from TNC)
This Honolulu Advertiser article (17 Feb. 2001) discusses the possibility of caffeine being able to control coqui frogs on the Big Island (Hawaii).

Salvinia molesta image (sporangia)
A high-resolution image of Salvinia molesta (sporangia) is available from the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England.

Salvinia molesta image (habit in water)
A high-resolution image of Salvinia molesta (habit in water) is available from the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England.

Salvinia molesta images from PIER
Images of Salvinia molesta provided by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER).

Distribution

In the news

Lake Wilson cleanup is duty of state Land Department
EPA and residents are trying to find a way to control coqui frogs and have tried high-concentration solution of caffeine in water or hot water.

Losing battle feared at Lake Wilson
online

Lake Wilson must be saved from alien plant
"Lake Wilson must be saved from alien plant," a letter to the editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (December 21, 2002).

Lake cleanup may take a year
"Lake cleanup may take a year: State officials are having a difficult time cleaning Lake Wilson of an invasive fern" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, December 23, 2002).

Group targets weed choking Lake Wilson
"Group targets weed choking Lake Wilson: Gov. Lingle's support is sought in an effort to rein in the plant" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 7, 2003).

Lingle pledges help to clear Lake Wilson
same as http://starbulletin.com/2001/08/23/

Evil water weed taking over the world
"Evil water weed taking over the world" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 10, 2003).

State plans oil booms to drag weed off lake
"State plans oil booms to drag weed off lake" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 12, 2003).

The Green Monster
"The Green Monster: City, state and federal officials coordinate efforts to remove a weed covering the surface of Lake Wilson" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 19, 2003).

State wages war on waterweed
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin (http://starbulletin.com)

Governor Lingle is concerned about Salvinia molesta in Lake Wilson
PT's bookmarks

State needs new way to keep out harmful plants
"[Hawaii] State needs new way to keep out harmful plants"; "Fast-growing salvinia at Lake Wilson is the most recent of Hawaii's problems with non-native species" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin editorial, February 22, 2003).

Who let the weeds grow at Lake Wilson?
"Who let the weeds grow at Lake Wilson?" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin letter to the editor, February 23, 2003).

"Green monster" sucks down cash
"'Green monster' sucks down cash: Saving Lake Wilson from weeds will cost at least $1.25 million" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 27, 2003).

Things are looking up in effort to clean lake (Lake Wilson, Oahu)
PT's bookmarks

Lawmakers slow to notice salvinia threat
"Lawmakers slow to notice salvinia threat" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin letter to the editor, March&nbps;7, 2003).

Friends of marsh plan to clean it tomorrow
Windward Oahu residents plan to rid Kawainui Marsh of invasive waterweeds (Salvinia molesta) and trash during a community cleanup effort. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, March&nbps;21, 2003).

Volunteers give Kailua marsh a new look
"Volunteers give Kailua marsh a new look" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, March 23, 2003).

Salvinia effort has cleared 75 percent of Lake Wilson
Salvinia effort has cleared 75 percent of Lake Wilson (Honolulu Advertiser, April 5, 2003).

Full-text articles

Other resources

Salvinia: nonindigenous aquatic ferns in the United States (Salvinia molesta and Salvinia minima) and their biological control, Cyrtobagous salviniae, the salvinia weevil (USGS)
USGS provides information on two weedy species of Salvinia and their biocontrol.

Salvinia molesta (giant salvinia, kariba weed) as an invasive species (information from TNC)
Information about Populus tremuloides as an invasive species is provided by The Nature Conservancy.

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The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) project is currently funded by the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) through PIERC (USGS) with support from HCSU (UH-Hilo). More details are available online.

The template for this page was created on 15 March 2004 by EMS, and was last updated on 20 February 2006 by PT. The content of this page was last regenerated on (or after) 28 March 2008 by PT.