Salviniaceae
Salvinia Family
The Salviniaceae family (Salvinia Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Salviniales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 2 species. Its members are predominantly herbs. Several members are valued in traditional medicine.
Browse all 2 species ↓
A free-floating aquatic fern with no true roots, its paired oval leaves covered in water-repellent hairs that trap a layer of air against the leaf surface, while a third, finely divided underwater leaf hangs down and mimics a root.
As a true fern this family has no flowers or seeds — its water-repellent leaf hairs keep the plant unsinkable even when pushed underwater, and it has become one of the world's most aggressive floating aquatic weeds.
Which Salviniaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Salviniaceae species.
To check whether a plant belongs to Salviniaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.
Learn the full family-identification methodNotable members
Families that can look similar
Marsileaceae
Compare against Marsileaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare MarsileaceaeAll 2 species in SALVINIACEAE
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