E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Azolla filiculoides Lam.
large mosquito fern (Pacific mosquitofern)
Azollaceae (Azolla family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Sharon Hartwell  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #4729)

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Distribution of Azolla filiculoides
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Species Information

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General:
Delicate aquatic ferns floating on water surface; plants usually 2-6 cm long, pinnately branched from a central axis, dichotomously branched only at the periphery; fronds usually densely overlapping like shingles.
Leaves:
The upper lobes 0.8-1 mm long.Sporocarps Borne on floating lobes; hooked hairs without cross-walls or rarely with 1 or 2 cross-walls; megaspores net-veined with raised hexagons at the base.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Sloughs and ditches in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known from the lower Fraser River Valley; most probably introduced from E North America.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References