Azolla pinnata R.Br.
Ferny azolla (Azolla pinnata) is a small, free-floating aquatic fern that is native to Africa, Asia and Australia. It was introduced to New Zealand as an ornamental plant and was first recorded in the wild (naturalised) in 1969. The plant forms dense mats on the surface of still or slow-moving water. It has tiny, overlapping leaves that are green when actively growing and often turn red in bright light or cool conditions. Unlike flowering plants, ferns reproduce by spores rather than seeds. Spores are dispersed by water, birds and other animals. The plant also reproduces vegetatively by fragmentation, with broken pieces readily developing into new plants. Fragments are dispersed by water, birds, machinery and human activities. It tolerates still or slow-moving freshwater and nutrient-rich conditions.
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