Alternanthera philoxeroides
| Alternanthera philoxeroides | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Alternanthera |
| Species: | A. philoxeroides |
| Binomial name | |
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Alternanthera philoxeroides Griseb. |
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Alternanthera philoxeroides, commonly referred to as alligator weed, is a native species to the temperate regions of South America, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Argentina alone, hosts around 27 species that fall within the range of the genus Alternanthera. Its geographic range once used to cover only the Parana River region of South America, but it has since expanded to cover over 30 countries, such as the United States, New Zealand, China and many more. This invasive species is believed to have been accidentally introduced to these non-native regions through sediments trapped/attached to tanks and cargo of ships travelling from South America to these various areas.
The species of alligator weed can thrive in both dry and aquatic environments and is characterized by the following set of notable features: Whitish, papery flowers along its short stalks, Irregular, or sprawling hollow stems, and Simple and opposite leave pattern sprouting from its nodes. The aquatic plant is classified as a dioecious species because it contains both male and female reproductive organs, which allows it to reproduce both sexually and asexually. It is also considered a herbaceous plant due to its short-lived shoot system. This plant produces horizontal stems, otherwise known as stolons, that can sprout up to 10 m in length and can easily float, hence the reason why they have hollow stems; this in turn leads to large clusters of stem to amass and create dense mats along the surface. The plant flowers from December to April and usually grows around 13 mm in diameter and tend to be papery and ball-shaped. The weed's intricate root system can either allow them to hang free in the water to absorb nutrients or directly penetrate the soil/sediment and pull their nutrients from below.
Alligator weed is considered a major threat to ecosystems because of the adverse effects it poses on both aquatic and terrestrial environments, as well as negatively influence both the ecosystem and society.
The presence of this invasive species disrupts the natural flow of water due to the dense mats created from its clusters of stems. It out competes the native vegetation for space and solar energy through these dense mats because they are large cluster and limit the amount of light that submerged vegetation receives. These compact clusters of stems also disturb the regular exchange of gases that occur underneath the surface that directly influences aerobic processes, such as photosynthesis. Aside from driving down the population of native aquatic vegetation, Alligator weed can also influence the growth and yield of crops in pastures and fields. These dense mats can affect the natural flow of water that is used in irrigation systems and as well as affect the quality of the water by increasing the sedimentation present in the water. Both factors are things that crops depend upon to not be disturbed, to provide a healthy yield for farmers, which is also falls within an impact it has on society that will be discussed later. On top of this, the likelihood of flooding is more like due to the drainage brought upon by the dense mats, which in turn can also damage the crops. Furthermore, this is a small insight into the negative impacts this invasive species has on the environment.
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Wikipedia