| water-chestnut |
USDA PLANTS Symbol: TRNA USDA ARS GRIN: 36824 ITIS: 27170 NAPIS: PCGABBA |
| Trapa natans L. | |
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Taxonomic Rank: Magnoliopsida: Myrtales: Trapaceae |
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| Synonym(s): water chestnut, water nut | |
Water chestnut is a rooted, floating plant that invades shallow to deep, fresh water habitats in the northeastern United States. Water chestnut can grow in 12 to 15 ft. (3.6-4.6 m) of water and forms dense, floating mats, often three layers deep. Leaves on the surface of the water are alternate, triangular in shape, strongly toothed and connected to the stem by an inflated petiole. Submerged leaves are feathery and either opposite or alternate. Flowering occurs from mid-summer to frost. Small, four-petaled flowers give way to the nut-like fruit. The fruit have two to four, ½ in. (1.3 cm) long, sharp, barbed spines. The spines can penetrate shoes. The dense, floating mats restrict light availability, reduce the oxygen content, and displace other emergent and floating vegetation. Water chestnut also limits boating, fishing, swimming and other recreational activities. Water chestnut is native to Europe and Asia and was first observed in the United States in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. |
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Identification, Biology, Control and Management Resources
- Global Invasive Species Database - Invasive Species Specialist Group
- Invasive Plant Atlas of New England - University of Connecticut
- Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the Eastern United States - USDA Forest Service
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Fact Sheet - Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
| Selected Images from Invasive.org | View All Images at Invasive.org |
 Plant(s); Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Flower(s); Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Feature(s); single rosette showing horned fruits and the inflated leaf petioles which enables the rosette to float Alfred Cofrancesco, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); Floating rosettes Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Infestation; on Lake Champlain, New York Alfred Cofrancesco, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Infestation; Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); Steve Hurst, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Diagram or Graphic; Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 2: 612. USDA PLANTS Database, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
Taxonomic References:
- USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1, National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
Invasive Listing Sources:
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 1994.
- Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
- Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control, 2004
- Faith Campbell, 1998. Plants that Hog the Garden: Invasive Plants in the United States. Fine Gardening Online
- Hoffman, R. & K. Kearns, Eds. 1997. Wisconsin manual of control recommendations for ecologically invasive plants. Wisconsin Dept. Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources. Madison, Wisconsin. 102pp.
- Invasive Plant Council of New York State
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 1994
- Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2005
- National Wildlife Refuge Association, Silent Invasion: A Call to Action from the National Wildlife Refuge Association, 2002. Washington DC. 17 pp.
- New Hampshire Invasive Species Committee. 2005. Guide to Invasive Upland Plant Species in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food Plant Industry Division and New Hampshire Invasive Species Committee.
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation,
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 1999.
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- Alabama Noxious Weeds Class C Noxious Weed
- Arizona Noxious Weeds
- Connecticut Noxious Weeds
- Massachusetts Noxious Weeds
- Maine Noxious Weeds
- Oregon Noxious Weeds
- South Carolina Noxious Weeds
- Vermont Noxious Weeds
- Washington Noxious Weeds
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