Satellite tracking of the Mexican water lily in the vicinity of Badajoz
Thursday, April 6, 2017
The Mexican waterlily (Nymphaea mexicana) is a species of aquatic plant that is native to the Southern United States and Mexico. It was included in the Spanish Catalog of Invasive Alien Species and It was detected in the Guadiana river basin in the 1980s.
Nymphaea mexicana is characterized by having large flat green leaves with purple or brown patterning and float on the surface of the water. The floating lotus flowers have yellow petals. Seeds are contained in green berries that grow underwater. It is not toxic or poisonous and although it does not constitute a serious threat to the habitat and species, however it causes important alterations in the aquatic ecosystems by diminishing the entrance of light in the mass of water. In addition, it may displace other native species of waterlily. It is an IAS much less aggressive than the water hyacinth that affects the middle section of the Guadiana.
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