Azolla microphylla

Mexican mosquito fern

Family: Azollaceae · Type: Fern · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Mexican mosquito fern is a California native aquatic fern found in northern Sierra Nevada, Great Valley, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay, San Bernardan, and northeastern Sierra Nevada regions in ponds and slow streams at elevations below 1,200 meters. Its color ranges from green to blue-green and can turn dark red, with distinctive tiny surface papillae on its upper leaf lobes. Growing prostrate with stems generally 1 to 1.3 centimeters long and extremely short internodes less than 1 millimeter, this tiny fern creates delicate mat-like formations in quiet water environments. Its leaves feature conspicuous papillae on the upper surface, giving the plant a textured, almost fuzzy appearance. The plant develops both male and female sporangium cases, often with an equatorial girdle and a surface that ranges from smooth to subtly pitted.

Habitat: Ponds, slow streams

Elevation: < 1200 m

Bioregions: n&amps SNH, GV, CCo, SnFrB, SnBr, SNE

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.