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INVASIVE SPECIES - A-Z
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Tench
Tinca tinca
Tench is a member of the carp family. They have dark olive to pale golden coloring, a white-bronze belly, bright red-orange eyes and a small barbel at the corners of the mouth. The fins are dark in color, rounded and lack spines. Tench have a deep, but thin body and grow up to 18 inches long.
Tree-of-Heaven
Ailanthus altissima
Tree of heaven thrives in disturbed habitats but is highly intolerant of shade. Infestations are most commonly found beneath powerlines and along rights of way, as well as in riparian zones, forest edges and openings.
Variable-leaf Watermilfoil
Myriophyllum heterophyllum
Variable-leaf watermilfoil is a submerged perennial that looks like many native plants, including native watermilfoil species. It has 4-6 feathery leaves whorled around the stem, but some leaves can be alternate. Its leaves are divided into 7-14 pairs of leaflets, the dense leaf arrangement gives this plant a bottle brush appearance. Stems are thick and reddish-brown. In mid to late summer, blade-like, serrated leaves with small, reddish pink flowers form an erect spike that emerges from the water.
Water Chestnut
Trapa natans
Water chestnut is a fast-growing, floating annual that can grow to 16 ft. The most distinctive trait of this plant is its thorny nutlets.
Water Hyacinth
Oshuna crassipes
Water hyacinth is a free-floating, perennial, aquatic plant. In climates where it is unable to survive the winter, water hyacinth will grow as an annual. Its leaves are round, curved, glossy bright green and float above the water’s surface on bulbous stalks.
Water Lettuce
Pistia stratiotes
Water lettuce is an often free-floating aquatic plant. It forms thick mats that block sunlight and slow or prevent the growth of native aquatic plants.
Waterwheel
Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Waterwheel is an herbaceous carnivorous, aquatic plant that captures small, aquatic invertebrates using clamshell-type traps, similar to the venus flytrap. It floats just below the water's surface and has stems 2-8 inches long, with whorls of 5-9 leaves. Waterwheel rarely flowers, but when it does, the small, greenish-white flowers emerge from the water, while the fruit capsules are held underwater.
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. undulatifolius
Wavyleaf basketgrass is a perennial grass with a distinctly hairy stem and leaf sheath. Its seeds grow in 3-5 pairs of spikelets with long awns (pointed tips) that produce a sticky substance to aid in dispersal.
White Nose Syndrome
Pseudogymnoascus destructans
White nose syndrome is caused by an invasive (non-native) fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which affects hibernating bats. The fungus exists in caves and abandoned mines where bats spend the winter hibernating.