Brazilian Elodea (Egeria densa) (also called Brazilian Waterweed, Anacharis)
Description:
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Appearance: Submersed aquatic plant. Perennial. Can be rooted or free floating.
Leaves: Bushy appearance. Leaves in whorls of 4 to 6. Leaf edges have very small serrations that require a magnifying glass to see.
Flowers: White flowers with 3 petals are on short stalks and are visible above water. Flowers are 0.7 to 1 inch wide.
Reproduction: Spreads by plant fragments. No female plants have been reported in the United States. Since all plants are male, no seeds are produced in the US.
Note on identification: Brazilian elodea can be easily confused with native Canada waterweed.
- Brazilian elodea usually has four leaves per whorl (arranged around the stem) and each leaf is at least 2 cm long.
- Canada waterweed generally has three leaves per whorl and each leaf is usually less than 1 cm long.
See the reporting invasive aquatic plants webpage if you are unsure of identification or wish to report a new location of Brazilian elodea.
Control Methods:
Prevention: Brazilian elodea is reported in very few lakes in Minnesota (see infested waters list 
). By cleaning all plant parts off of boats and water-related equipment, we can prevent the spread of Brazilian elodea to additional lakes.
Mechanical or chemical: See DNR regulations for submersed aquatic plant management strategies and regulations.
Additional resources:
- Brazilian elodea fact sheet (Indiana DNR)
- Brazilian elodea information (Wisconsin DNR)
- Brazilian elodea/waterweed is an early detection species in the Midwest (Midwest Invasive Plant Network)
- Technical information (State of Washington)
- Additional photos (King County, Washington)