ALLIGATORWEED 



Alternantbera philoxeroides Mart. 



Alligatorweed is native of tropical regions and has become a serious 

 pest covering extensive drainage and ponded areas in the Southern 

 States. It has been introduced northward, but is not hardy in the 

 Northern States. 



This is a spreading weed that forms floating mats over extensive 

 areas sufficiently dense to support the weight of a man. The creeping, 

 branched, prostrate stems are often jointed, and roots form extensively 

 at stem-joints. During low water it will cover muddy banks and 

 lowlands. The linear leaves develop on the stems in an opposite 

 arrangement with smooth or entire margins, and are somewhat waxy 

 in appearance. Flowers are produced in a rounded compact spike. The 

 flower sepals or flower leaves are pale green or whitish, giving the 

 flower spike an overall white appearance. 



Like the waterhyacinth, this weed is unable to withstand extended 

 periods of freezing; consequently, it is seldom found on Western 

 irrigation systems. It has been reported to occur in small localized areas 

 of the Southwest. 



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