Ferny Azolla (Marshes, swamp and Riverside vegetation of Khandwa district)

Ferny Azolla

Azolla pinnata

Summary ⁵

Azolla pinnata is a species of fern known by several common names, including go-prasad (in hindi&marathi) and water velvet. It is native to much of Africa, Asia from China to Japan, India and the Philippines, and parts of Australia. It is an aquatic plant, its frond floating upon the surface of the water. It grows in quiet and slow-moving water bodies, because swift currents and waves break up the plant.

Description ⁶

Small floating ferns, whole plant oblong to deltoid in outline, up to 20 × 15 mm. Rhizome up to 0.2 mm in diameter, horizontal, branched into 3-5 alternate pinnae. Roots single or in fascicles of 2-3 at the branche nodes, up to 3.5 cm long, hairy, with conspicuous root cap. Leaves minute in 2 rows, dark green, 2-lobed; upper lobe up to 1.1 mm long, ovate to broadly elliptic in outline, apex pointed, papillate in the centre and with a hyaline border; lower lobe colourless, more or less equal in size. Plant heterosporous, sporocarps on the submerged lower lobes of the leaves.

Distribution ⁷

"Range Description: It is fairly common in tropical regions of the world. Its native range includes Africa and Madagascar, India, southeast Asia, China (Anhui, Fujian, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang), Japan, Malaysia and Australia. It has also been recorded in Viet Nam, Lao PDR and Cambodia. Countries - Native: Angola; Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland); Bangladesh; Bhutan; Botswana; Burundi; Cambodia; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Yunnan); Congo; Gabon; Guinea; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Japan; Kenya; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Liberia; Madagascar; Malaysia; Mozambique; Myanmar; New Zealand; Nigeria; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal); Sri Lanka; Taiwan, Province of China; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Uganda; Viet Nam; Zambia"

Habitat and ecology ⁸

Habitat and Ecology

The plant is an aquatic fern of stagnant water. It can spread rapidly, and has the ability to survive on moist soil in and around rivers, ditches, and ponds. In eutrophic waters, it forms dense surface mats, which degrade water quality by reducing oxygen levels.

Systems

Freshwater

Sources and Credits

(c) eyeweed, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/12626159@N05/5086226380
(c) cohenm, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by cohenm
(c) John Steel, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by John Steel
(c) tangatawhenua, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by tangatawhenua
Adapted by Chandan Pandey from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_pinnata
(c) Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/30274894
(c) India Biodiversity Portal, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/26321316
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34322552