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Water lettuce mat in University Lake, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is a floating aquatic plant native to South America and northern Africa that is currently found on every continent except for Antarctica [2, 8, 9]. The plant is invasive throughout the United States, with large populations found in the Gulf Coast region [8]. Water lettuce forms dense mats, obstructing boaters and negatively impacting native plants and aquatic animals [3, 5, 6]. This plant is commonly found in lakes, ponds, bayous, and slow flowing rivers [9].
Author: Seth Spinner
The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture