Salvinia minima

Water spangles

Family: Salviniaceae · Type: Fern · Not Native

Water spangles is a naturalized aquatic fern found in southern California in stagnant water, mud, and algal mats of sloughs at elevations generally below 100 meters. Although this fern does not produce traditional flowers, its distinctive floating leaves are approximately 5 to 10 millimeters wide, nearly round and create a delicate green mat across water surfaces. Growing as a small, floating plant with intricate leaf structures, it spreads across water surfaces in thin, delicate layers. Its leaves have remarkable surface details, with tiny papillae less than 1 millimeter tall and specialized hairs with free-standing tips that contribute to its unique aquatic appearance. This non-native species forms dense floating colonies that can quickly cover still water environments.

Habitat: Stagnant water, mud, algal mats of sloughs

Elevation: generally < 100 m

Bioregions: SCo

California counties: Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Diego

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