Plant Management in Florida Waters - An Integrated Approach

Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences & Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Invasive Plant Management Section

West Indian marsh grass

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Quick Facts MORE INFO
Scientific name	Hymenachne amplexicaulis
Origin	Central, South America, West Indies
Introduction	1970s, natural colonization (?)
Aquatic community	Emergent
Habitat	Wet soils to shallow water
Distribution	South & Southwest Florida
Management effort	Maintenance control
2017 public waters / plant acres	41 (9%) / 1,709
2017 Waters / acres controlled	19 / 277

Hymenachne amplexicaulis

Hymenachne amplexicaulis

Management Options
Biological	None available
Chemical	Glyphosate, imazapyr, flumioxazin
Mechanical	Impractical; plants grow in shallow marshes
Physical	Fire + glyphosate to control regrowth

Environmental and Economic Concerns

Forms dense monocultures in marshes and along shorelines
Displaces native grasses because of its broader tolerance to wet and dry periods
Difficult to control when growing among native grasses because they are susceptible to the same control methods

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Status of the Aquatic Plant Maintenance Program in Florida Public Waters, Annual Report – Fiscal Year 2016-2017.