Limnophila is a competitive, rapidly growing submerged aquatic species with distinct emerged leaves. It is a rooted plant, however, can thrive and reproduce from plant fragments. The stems can grow up to 12 feet long with several inches erectly emerged from the water’s surface. The dark green 1.5 inch long emersed leaves are lance shaped and vary from 5 to 8 leaves in whorls. The submerged leaves are feathery, oval or lanceolate in shape, and seen in whorls of 6 to 10 around the stem. The non-native species is now naturalized in much of Florida, and its dense coverage can block sunlight for other plant inhabitants thus becoming problematic.
