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Mudmat

Glossostigma cleistanthum

Taxonomy 3

Comments: Glossostigma diandrum, native to Australia, New Zealand, India and East Africa, was believed to be established in North America as of 1999 (Kartesz 1999). However, subsequent research (Les et al. 2006) showed that it was in fact this congener, Glossostigma cleistanthum (native to Australia and New Zealand), that was established at all sites previously believed to harbor G. diandrum. Glossostigma cleistanthum is currently the only Glossostigma species believed to be established in North America.

Invasive species 4

Mudmat is considered an invasive species outside of its native range. Mudmat is currently causing problems in Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania, with the earliest record of Mudmat in North America being in 1992 in Hamburg Cove, CT. There is concern for it as an invasive species since it is occurring in areas with species listed as endangered in Connecticut and/or New Jersey. Some of these species include: Eriocaulon parkeri, Crassula aquatica, Lilaeopsis chinensis, Limosella subulata, Myriophyllum tenellum and Heteranthera multiflora. It grows quickly and due to its small size is not expected to interfere with recreational boating or other forms of recreational lake use. In some areas it can reach densities as large as 25,000 plants per square meter. Although it is unclear how G. cleistanthum was originally introduced to the United States, one possibility is that is was introduced along with aquarium plants. Subsequent dispersal is expected to be due to migrating waterfowl, watersheds, boating and fishing activities.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) secm, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  2. no rights reserved, uploaded by Peter de Lange
  3. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28988951
  4. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossostigma_cleistanthum

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