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Aquatic vascular plants include the ferns and flowering
plants that grow submersed in water, float on the water surface, or have
basal portions inundated with foliage and upper parts emersed. Diverse
in form and habit, many aquatic species have become established in the
United States outside of their natural range. Introduced intentionally
or escaping from cultivation, nonindigenous plants can colonize aquatic
communities where they compete with and often displace native species.
Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), water-hyacinth (Eichhornia
crassipes) and Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
are examples well known for their ability to alter physical and biological
functions of aquatic systems.
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