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Useful Tropical Plants

Myriophyllum aquaticum

(Vell.) Verdc.

Haloragaceae

+ Synonyms

Myriophyllum brasiliense Cambess.

Common Name: Parrot's Feather

Myriophyllum aquaticum
Flowering stem
Photograph by: Jordan, G.
Image credit to Australian National Botanic Gardens
Myriophyllum aquaticum Myriophyllum aquaticum Myriophyllum aquaticum Myriophyllum aquaticum Myriophyllum aquaticum Myriophyllum aquaticum

General Information

Parrot's feather is a bright or glaucous green perennial freshwater herb that, extending from the bank or rising up through several meters of water, forms vigorous mats of tangled stems[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].
The edible leaves are sometimes gathered from the wild and consumed locally. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental in aquaria[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

Southern and western S. America - Brazil.

Habitat

Freshwater streams and adjacent saturated mud or gravel[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height2.00 m
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of tropical areas, it is able to tolerates a wide range of temperatures and can succeed in warm temperate and subtropical areas, though it is most prolific in the tropics[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].

The plant is naturalized in many areas as a weed. It is widely distributed throughout the aquarium trade and is spread into the wild as a result of people dumping plants from their aquarium[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]. Even small parts of the plant can produce new roots[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The species normally produces male and female flowers on separate plants but occasionally plants bearing flowers of both sexes occur.
Almost all of the plants found outside the plant's native range of Brazil are female forms[
413
Title
Global Invasive Species Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Very detailed information on almost 400 species (with more being added) of plants that have become weeds in areas outside their native range.
].

Edible Uses

Young shoot tips - cooked and used as a vegetable[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Stem cuttings
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-01. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Myriophyllum+aquaticum>

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