Native to the Amazon River it can now be found worldwide.
No male plants are found outside South America. Only female plants are found in the US.
It reproduces by fragmentation or through root systems.
Erect green stem with whorled leaves resemble a feather. Rooted along shoreline and stems trail along the ground or float across the water surface, becoming erect at the leafy end. Can form a tangled mass of floating stems that crowds out all other vegetation.
Herbicide control is difficult because of a protective waxy cuticle and physical removal results in further growth.
