FLORIDA AQUATIC PEST CONTROL (ACTUAL 2025/2026)
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
What are the aquatic plant growth habits? - ----Answers--
Submersed plants, emersed plants, floating plants and
floating leaf plants
Water fern ( Salvinia minima) - ----Answers---Nonnative
floating plant with paired rounded fronds that have stiff,
branched hairs on the upper surface, 3/4 in acrss and thin
root-like fronds hang beneath
Giant water fern ( Salvinia molesta) - ----Answers--
Nonnative floating plant with thin root-like fronds that
hang beneath the water , hairs on the upper leaf surfaces
are fused at the top compared to being spread open on
water fern
Mosquito fern ( Azolla caroliniana) - ----Answers---native
small flowering plant composed of tiny, closely
overlapping fronds , may be green, brownish-red or red,
entire plant is less than 1/2 inch across and roots hang
beneath
Torpedograss ( Panicum repens) - ----Answers---invasive
emersed, perennial grass, grows extensive rhizomes,
leaves rolled and have fine hairs on upper surface, ring of
fine hairs at the base of leaf, seedheads are branched
sharply upwards and flowers are attached individually
along branches, inflorescense open
,Maidencane ( Panicum hemitomon) - ----Answers---native
emersed perennial grass forms extensive rhizomes,
submersed joints of rhizomes produce feathery roots,
leaves flat, wide and smooth, seedheads narrow, spike-
like branches pressed upwards along central stalk
creating tightly enclosed inflorescence
Paragrass ( Urochloa mutica) - ----Answers---Invasive
forms stems recline and root at the nodes , leaves are flat
and have very fine hairs on upper leaf surface, presence
of dense hairs at nodes and stiff hairs along collar where
leaf sheath joins leaf blades
Southern watergrass ( Luzioloa fluitans) - ----Answers--
Native floating on water surface or emersed , up to 1 ft
tall, on shorelines and moist soils, leaf blades thin and flat
, flap of thin white tissue 1/6in long at top of leaf sheath
Southern bulrush, giant bulrush ( Schoenoplectus
californicus)
- ----Answers---native emersed, leafless, spongy, rounded
, 3-angled stems 3-10 ft tall arise from thick runners,
flower cluster occurs at tend of stem 1/2-3 inch, bristles
occur on softstem bulrush
Slender spikerush or road-grass ( Eleocharis baldwinii) - --
-Answers---native has two growth forms, occurs on moist
soils at edge of ponds, erect and leafless stems 1-4 in tall,
stems long and proliferate throughout water column,
, leaves occur bladeless sheaths at stem bases, seeds
germinate on mother plant and form daughter plants
Soft rush ( Juncus effusus) - ----Answers---native occurs
as shoreline emergent plant, stems are leafless,
cylindrical , hollow, 2-4ft tall, flowers occur at end of stem
and bract , basal chestnut colored sheaths at base of
each stem
Pickerelweed ( Pontederia cordata) - ----Answers---native
emergent shoreline perennial plant with creeping roots,
about 3ft tall reach 6 ft tall, leaves tend to be clusters and
have long stalks, blades narrow or broad heart-shaped,
each stem has leaf and spike numerous violet-blue
flowers
Duck Potato ( Sagittaria lancifolia) - ----Answers---native
emergent shoreline perennial with thick creeping roots,
leaves long and sword shaped, showy white three petaled
flowers in clusters or spikes borne above the leaves
Broad-leaf arrowhead ( Sagittaria latifolia) - ----Answers--
native leaves broad-leaf arrowhead up to 8 in wide ,
sagittate with pointed lobes at base
Cattail ( Typha spp) - ----Answers---Native emergent
perennial arise from thick rhizomes reach up to 10ft tall,
leaves strap like rounded on one side, base of plant
leaves flattened in same plane, numerous flowers arise on
green cylindrical spike, maturity spike is brown, seeds
start to disperse , spike comes apart looks puffy white
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
What are the aquatic plant growth habits? - ----Answers--
Submersed plants, emersed plants, floating plants and
floating leaf plants
Water fern ( Salvinia minima) - ----Answers---Nonnative
floating plant with paired rounded fronds that have stiff,
branched hairs on the upper surface, 3/4 in acrss and thin
root-like fronds hang beneath
Giant water fern ( Salvinia molesta) - ----Answers--
Nonnative floating plant with thin root-like fronds that
hang beneath the water , hairs on the upper leaf surfaces
are fused at the top compared to being spread open on
water fern
Mosquito fern ( Azolla caroliniana) - ----Answers---native
small flowering plant composed of tiny, closely
overlapping fronds , may be green, brownish-red or red,
entire plant is less than 1/2 inch across and roots hang
beneath
Torpedograss ( Panicum repens) - ----Answers---invasive
emersed, perennial grass, grows extensive rhizomes,
leaves rolled and have fine hairs on upper surface, ring of
fine hairs at the base of leaf, seedheads are branched
sharply upwards and flowers are attached individually
along branches, inflorescense open
,Maidencane ( Panicum hemitomon) - ----Answers---native
emersed perennial grass forms extensive rhizomes,
submersed joints of rhizomes produce feathery roots,
leaves flat, wide and smooth, seedheads narrow, spike-
like branches pressed upwards along central stalk
creating tightly enclosed inflorescence
Paragrass ( Urochloa mutica) - ----Answers---Invasive
forms stems recline and root at the nodes , leaves are flat
and have very fine hairs on upper leaf surface, presence
of dense hairs at nodes and stiff hairs along collar where
leaf sheath joins leaf blades
Southern watergrass ( Luzioloa fluitans) - ----Answers--
Native floating on water surface or emersed , up to 1 ft
tall, on shorelines and moist soils, leaf blades thin and flat
, flap of thin white tissue 1/6in long at top of leaf sheath
Southern bulrush, giant bulrush ( Schoenoplectus
californicus)
- ----Answers---native emersed, leafless, spongy, rounded
, 3-angled stems 3-10 ft tall arise from thick runners,
flower cluster occurs at tend of stem 1/2-3 inch, bristles
occur on softstem bulrush
Slender spikerush or road-grass ( Eleocharis baldwinii) - --
-Answers---native has two growth forms, occurs on moist
soils at edge of ponds, erect and leafless stems 1-4 in tall,
stems long and proliferate throughout water column,
, leaves occur bladeless sheaths at stem bases, seeds
germinate on mother plant and form daughter plants
Soft rush ( Juncus effusus) - ----Answers---native occurs
as shoreline emergent plant, stems are leafless,
cylindrical , hollow, 2-4ft tall, flowers occur at end of stem
and bract , basal chestnut colored sheaths at base of
each stem
Pickerelweed ( Pontederia cordata) - ----Answers---native
emergent shoreline perennial plant with creeping roots,
about 3ft tall reach 6 ft tall, leaves tend to be clusters and
have long stalks, blades narrow or broad heart-shaped,
each stem has leaf and spike numerous violet-blue
flowers
Duck Potato ( Sagittaria lancifolia) - ----Answers---native
emergent shoreline perennial with thick creeping roots,
leaves long and sword shaped, showy white three petaled
flowers in clusters or spikes borne above the leaves
Broad-leaf arrowhead ( Sagittaria latifolia) - ----Answers--
native leaves broad-leaf arrowhead up to 8 in wide ,
sagittate with pointed lobes at base
Cattail ( Typha spp) - ----Answers---Native emergent
perennial arise from thick rhizomes reach up to 10ft tall,
leaves strap like rounded on one side, base of plant
leaves flattened in same plane, numerous flowers arise on
green cylindrical spike, maturity spike is brown, seeds
start to disperse , spike comes apart looks puffy white
