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Wetland and Aquatic Plants
of
Oklahoma
Interactive Keys: Free
Floating Plants
Mosquitoferns
(Azollaceae)
Notes: Mosquitoferns are truly ferns.
The common name refers to the belief that
the plants can grow so densely that mosquitoes cannot reproduce. They are eaten by waterfowl and
shorebirds. Also, mosquitofern has a
blue-green algal symbiont which fixes nitrogen, which provides a
natural
fertilizer in wetlands. Both species
are native and perennial.
NWI status:
Mosquitoferns are OBL.
Carolina
mosquitofern (Azolla
caroliniana Willd.)
Native
perennial.
click
thumbnails to enlarge
Note: Plants less
than 1 cm in diameter, leaves
approximately 0.5 mm in length.
Mexican
mosquitofern (Azolla
mexicana Schlecht.
& Cham. ex K. Presl)
Native
perennial.
Note: Plants are
usually more than 1 cm in diameter,
leaves are 0.7 mm in length or more.
Last update: 1/23/04
Comments to : Bruce Hoagland
bhoagland@ou.edu
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