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Phyllanthus fluitans
Also called Red Root Floater
Floating Spurge is a small free-floating aquatic perennial from the Amazon basin that forms dense mats on still water. It is grown in aquariums and ponds, and it can spread aggressively, so keep it contained.
Phyllanthus fluitans, also known as the red root floater, floating spurge, or apple duckweed (although it is neither a spurge or a duckweed), is a species of free floating aquatic plant and herbaceous perennial in the family Phyllanthaceae. This species is one of the only three non-terrestrial species in the genus Phyllanthus, with the other species being P. leonardianus and P. felicis. The generic name comes from Ancient Greek meaning leaf or a leaf (φύλλον, phúllon; phyll) flower (ἄνθος, anthos; anthus), and the specific name comes from Latin meaning floating or float (fluito; fluitans). It was described in March 1863 by George Bentham and Johannes Müller Argoviensis.
It is native to the Amazon basin with its range being in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Paraguay, and northern Argentina with the type location being in the Rio Negro tributary. It has been seen outside its native range in southern Florida and Mexico (Tabasco) being naturalised where it has invaded. This species’ distribution can also potentially reach Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Louisiana, the southern parts of south east states of the US like Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi where it has the potential to be a problematic invasive species like water fern, water lettuce and water hyacinth by covering large swaths of stagnant backwater areas. This noxious species may limit or totally block all ambient light penetration to the bottom of the system, which can stunt and potentially kill submersed plants growing below. It has also been recorded in Panama.
Tahitian gooseberry tree · Jamaican gooseberry tree · Carry me seed · Emblic · Niruri · Chamber bitter
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Phyllanthus fluitans by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
