FLORIDA AQUATIC PEST CONTROL
(2025/2026) EXAM QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS
What are the three families of monocots? - ----Answers--- Grasses, sedges
and rushes
Grasses - ----Answers---Have hallow , cylindrical stems with swollen
joints (nodes) at intervals and leaves that arise at the nodes in two ranks
Sedges - ----Answers---Have solid stems, often triangular, and leaves in
three ranks
Rushes - ----Answers---Have solid round stems and flowers that have two
rings of small, brown scale-like structures similar to petals
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
(2025/2026) EXAM QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS
What are the three families of monocots? - ----Answers--- Grasses, sedges
and rushes
Grasses - ----Answers---Have hallow , cylindrical stems with swollen
joints (nodes) at intervals and leaves that arise at the nodes in two ranks
Sedges - ----Answers---Have solid stems, often triangular, and leaves in
three ranks
Rushes - ----Answers---Have solid round stems and flowers that have two
rings of small, brown scale-like structures similar to petals
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
