Vocabulary: » Term: » Records: » ID: 797

Click image to see larger image	Alligator weed
Location	http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Alligator-Weed1web.jpg
Observations	The flower and leaves of the alligator weed plant. The flower is ball-shaped and the leaves are green and waxy-looking.
Explanations	Alligator weed is a non-native species of plant in the United States that can damage waterways by clogging them and reducing water flow. Also, it grows in a way that reduces light penetration into the water. Alligator weed is being reduced by a few different insects that were released as biological control agents, such as the alligator weed flea beetle.
California Standards	Ecosystems
National Standards	Human impact
Related NSF Exemplary Curriculum	Environments Habitats Ecosystems Investigating ecosystems Ecosystems
Related Sets	Effects of non-native species
Creative Commons License	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License.
Authors	Robert H. Mohlenbrock None USDA-NRCS
Publisher	USDA-NRCS Nov 12 2006
Other Copyright Comments	USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

This material is based upon work that was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0127164 to California State University Fullerton. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.