''Mayaca fluviatilis'', also known as bog moss, is a perennial herbaceous submerged plant in the monogeneric family

Mayacaceae ''Mayaca'' is a genus of flowering plants, often placed in its own family, the Mayacaceae (or Mayaceae in earlier systems). In the APG II system of 2003, it is assigned to the order Poales in the clade commelinids. The Cronquist system, of 1981, ...

. It is native to Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the United States where it is often sold as an aquarium plant. Through the aquatic plant trade, it has recently become naturalized in Sri Lanka, Singapore, and China. It has been identified in three locations in Australia ( Innisfail and Mossman in Queensland and

Taree Taree is a town on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of 26,381, and is the centre of a significant agricultural distr ...

in New South Wales) but more populations are likely in other parts of Australia as well.

Description

The species was first described by the French botanist

Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet (November 4, 1720 – May 6, 1778) was a French pharmacist, botanist and one of the earliest botanical explorers in South America.JSTOR He was one of the first botanists to study ethnobotany in the Neotr ...

as ''La mayaque des rivieres'' in a tributary of the

Sinnamary Sinnamary is a town and commune on the coast of French Guiana, between Kourou and Iracoubo. Sinnamary was the second France, French settlement founded in French Guiana: the town was founded in 1664. Sinnamary lies on the Sinnamary River and is ...

river in Guyana. ''Mayaca fluviatilis'' has soft thin leaves arranged in spirals on white or pale green stems which frequently grow up to one meter in length. Flowers grow on single stalks, 2 to 5 cm long, and are roughly 1 cm in diameter. The flowers of ''Mayaca fluviatilis'', like those of other

Mayaca ''Mayaca'' is a genus of flowering plants, often placed in its own family, the Mayacaceae (or Mayaceae in earlier systems). In the APG II system of 2003, it is assigned to the order Poales in the clade commelinids. The Cronquist system, of 1981, ...

species, are lateral, heterochlamydeous (dissimilar sepals and petals in the whorls of the

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla ( petals) or tepals when ...

), and isostemonous (has an equal number of stamens and petals). As a submerged plant, it is capable of growing in wet soil during the dry seasons. When submerged, it superficially resembles '' Hydrilla verticillata'', a native aquatic plant of Sri Lanka.

As an invasive species

Seeds are dispersed through the water, although specimens sold as aquarium plants are purported to be sterile. Stem fragments as small as 2 cm are capable of re-establishing new plants. When growing submerged ''Mayaca fluviatilis'' can form semi-floating mats in water up to 2 meters deep or as a semi-terrestrial plant in quasi-aquatic environments such as wetlands. Uncontrolled, these mats can block drains and irrigation channels, among other consequences. If the mats break free during flooding they are a risk to moored boats as well as bridges. There is also concern of ''Mayaca fluviatilis'' in Sri Lanka outcompeting endemic plants in already threatened habitats. ''Hydrilla verticillata'' has been shown to outcompete ''Mayaca fluviatilis'' in experimental settings and may be useful as a way of controlling invasive growth.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15512691 Flora of South America Flora of North America Invasive plant species in Sri Lanka Invasive plant species in Australia Plants described in 1775 Poales