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Why are some introduced Sagittaria species invasive in Australia?
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Alismatales
Showy and delicate flowers of the flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus).
Several species of the genus Sagittaria, which belongs to the Alismatales order and the Alismataceae family, were introduced to Australia as ornamental plants.
These plants have become invasive because they are highly adaptable, perennial herbs that thrive in shallow aquatic environments such as streams, ponds, and agricultural waterways. Their ability to reproduce effectively—often through vegetative means like rhizomes, tubers, or stolons—allows them to naturalize rapidly and outcompete native vegetation in these habitats. Notable invasive species in Australia include S. sagittifolia and S. platyphylla.12