Azolla caroliniana Willd.

Carolina Mosquito Fern; Water Fern; Eastern Mosquito Fern

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Carolina Mosquito Fern is a native herbaceous annual aquatic in the Floating Fern family (Salviniaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Carolina Mosquito Fern occurs in ponds and lakes, in slow moving streams, in canals, and in back waters and sloughs. It generally grows as a free floating mat, but may become stranded on mud due to flooding or in times of low water. The stems are prostrate and freely branched. The scale-like leaves are bilobed and occur in two rows. The upper leaf floats on the surface and the lower (and slightly larger) leaf is submerged. Leaves have 1-celled hairs on the upper surface of the upper lobe. Small feather-like roots are produced along the lower surface of the stem and hang freely in the water. Carolina Mosquito Fern reproduces primarily by fragmentation, but can also reproduce by forming spores. It is somewhat unusual for a fern in that two types of spores are produced—megaspores when give rise to the female gametophyte and microspores which give rise to the male gametophyte. Our plants are infrequently fertile. Carolina Mosquito Fern grows extremely fast under ideal conditions and can sometimes become a pest. It can form mats that completely cover the water’s surface and are several centimeters in thickness. This has been observed to prevent mosquito’s from being able to deposit their egg masses. Carolina Mosquito Fern is available from nurseries that sell aquatic plants for use in aquaria and pools. Mosquito Ferns have a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (Anabaena azollae Strasburger) located in cavities within their leaves. Various species of Azolla are grown in rice patties as a green fertilizer and have been used as animal feed. Carolina Mosquito Fern can be green in color or bright red. The red color is due to the compound 3-Deoxyanthocyanidin, which is produced in response to stress such as very bright light or very high or low temperatures.--A. Diamond

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Native OBL (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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