water soldier USDA PLANTS Symbol: STAL6
U.S. Nativity:
Habit: Aquatic Plants Forbs/Herbs
Stratiotes aloides L.
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Taxonomic Rank: Liliopsida: Hydrocharitales: Hydrocharitaceae
Synonym(s): water soldiers, Water-aloe
Appearance
Stratiotes aloides is a submerged aquatic perennial plant that becomes buoyant during the summer. It produces stolons. S. aloides is native to temperate Asia and Europe.
Foliage
S. aloides has bright green sword shaped leaves with serrated margins. The leaves that can grow up to 16 in. (40 cm) long grow into stalkless rosettes.
Flowers
The flowers have three white to pinkish petals.
Fruit
Fruits are fleshy berries that can each contain up to 24 seeds. It also spreads by offsets on the stolons.
Ecological Threat
S. aloides can form dense mats of floating vegetation that crowds out native plant species. It can change water chemistry. The large dense mats and the serrated sharply pointed foliage of S. aloides can restrict recreational use of the water and pose a danger to swimmers and other people that handle the plant.
Identification, Biology, Control and Management Resources
  • Fact Sheet - Ontarios Invading Species Awareness Program
Selected Images from Invasive.orgView All Images at Invasive.org


Plant(s); Submersed.
Shaun Winterton, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Plant(s); While running leaders on hoop nets we finally looked closely at the plants that were coming up in them. There were lots of them and they are obviously being carried by the current that has been strong this spring.
Joanne Dewey, , Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
EDDMapS Distribution:
This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts and records obtained from USDA Plants Database. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org 		 


State List
This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list or law.

Invasive Listing Sources: