Proposed TPWD Exotic Aquatic Plant Rules

[LanceR]

As previously mentioned on this message board, the Texas Legislature enacted House Bill 3391, commonly referred to as the Sunset Bill, which requires Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to publish a list of exotic aquatic plants that are approved for importation or possession in Texas without a permit. This differs from the current regulations that list exotic aquatic plants that are prohibited or otherwise restricted. HB 3391 requires the list of approved exotic plants and revisions to existing rules governing the importation, possession, and sale of exotic aquatic plants is effective no later than December 31, 2010. New rules are being proposed to implement the new regulatory scheme, which includes a proposed list of exotic aquatic plants approved for importation, possession, and sale in Texas. These proposed rules and the proposed list of approved species can be found at the following web site address: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/feedback/meetings/2010/0826/agenda/regulations_committee/#item2.

This proposal will be presented to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 during their regular session that will be held in San Antonio, TX. Public comment will be accepted during and after this meeting, prior to the Commission’s November meeting where they will decide whether to implement these new rules. However, if you are aware of exotic aquatic plant species that are commonly bought, sold, imported/exported in Texas that are not listed on the proposed list please let me know as soon as possible. There is still time to add other species, provided they successfully pass a risk assessment evaluation, but time is getting short.

Thanks for any help you may be able to provide.

Lance Robinson
TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division
Dickinson Marine Laboratory
lance.robinson@tpwd.state.tx.us

[marauder_77868]

Interesting that there are some nonaquatic species on there that Petsmart and Petco sell to the masses....There are also some notable omissions, some species of Cabomba for example. There are also some previously prohibited species that are present...are they no longer dangerous. Sorry this is all run together below...


HERE IS THE LIST FROM THE SITE


Proposed §70.17. Approved Exotic Aquatic Plant Species.
The following species of exotic aquatic plants are approved for possession.
Acorus calamusGreen Sweetflag, Variegated AcorusAcornus gramineus Acrostichum danaeifolium Alocasia amazonica Alocasia plumbaeAlternanthera ficoideaAlternanthera reineckiiAmmannia gracilisAmmannia senegalensisAnubias var. 'frazeri’Anubias afzeliiAnubias barteriAnubias congensisAnubias gigantea Anubias gillettii Anubias gracilis Anubias hastifoliaAnubias heterophylla Anubias minimaAnubias pynaertii Aponogeton boivinianusAponogeton capuronii Aponogeton crispus Aponogeton distachyosAponogeton longiplumulosus Aponogeton madagascariensisAponogeton natans Aponogeton rigidifolius Aponogeton ulvaceusAponogeton undulatus Bacopa australisBacopa caroliniana Bacopa lanigera Bacopa lenageraBacopa monniera Bacopa monnieri Bacopa myriophylloidesBarclaya longifolia Baumea rubiginosaBletilla striata Blyxa aubertiBlyxa japonicaBolbitis heteroclitaBolbitis heudelotiiButomus umbellatusCabomba furcataCabomba pulcherrimaCaltha palustrisCardamine lyrataCarex nigraCephalanthus occidentalisCeratophyllum submersumCeratopteris cornutaCeratopteris thalictroidesChamaedorea elegansChladophora aegagropilaColocasia affinis Colocasia esculentaColocasia giganteaColocasia illustris Colocasia multifloraCoreopsis aquaticaCrinum calamistratumCrinum hardyii Crinum natansCrinum oliganthumCrinum procerum Crinum thaianumCryptocoryne affinisCryptocoryne albidaCryptocoryne amicorum Cryptocoryne blassii Cryptocoryne ciliataCryptocoryne cordata Cryptocoryne crispatula Cryptocoryne gasseri Cryptocoryne griffithii Cryptocoryne huderoi Cryptocoryne lingua Cryptocoryne longicauda Cryptocoryne lucens Cryptocoryne luteaCryptocoryne moehlmannii Cryptocoryne nurii Cryptocoryne parva Cryptocoryne petchii Cryptocoryne pontederifolia Cryptocoryne retrospiralis Cryptocoryne siamensis Cryptocoryne spiralisCryptocoryne striolata Cryptocoryne sulphurea Cryptocoryne thwaitesii Cryptocoryne tonkinesis Cryptocoryne undulata Cryptocoryneusteriana Cryptocoryne villosa Cryptocoryne walkeriCryptocoryne wendtiiCyperus helferiCyperus percamentusDicromena colorataDidiplis diandraDionea muscipulaDracaena borenquensisDracaena compactaDracaena sanderianaEchinodorus amazonicusEchinodorus angustifolia Echinodorus argentinensisEchinodorus aschersonianusEchinodorus barthiiEchinodorus berteroi Echinodorus bleheri Echinodorus bolivianus Echinodorus cordifoliusEchinodorus grandifolius Echinodorus harbichEchinodorus horemaniiEchinodorus horizontalis Echinodorus martii Echinodorus osiris Echinodorus palaefoliusEchinodorus parviflorus Echinodorus portoalegrensis Echinodorus quadricostatusEchinodorus rostratusEchinodorus schlueteriEgeria najas Eleocharis tuberosaEleocharis vivipara Equisetum giganteumEquisetum scirpoidesEriocaulon cinerrumFontinalis antipyretica Glossostigma elatinoidesGunnera perpensaHemianthus callitrichoidesHemianthus micranthemoidesHemigraphis exoticaHemigraphis repandaHibiscus acetosellaHibiscus coccineusHottonia palustris Hydrotriche hottoniflora Hygrophila difformisHymenocalis caribaeaHymenocalis speciosaIris ensata Iris fulvaIris kaempferiIris laevigataIris louisianaIris pseudacorusIris tectorum Iris versicolorIsoetes lacustris Juncus glaucusJuncus inflexusJuncus spiralisLilaeopsis brasiliensisLilaeopsis carolinensisLilaeopsis mauritianaLimnophila asiatica Limnophila aromaticaLimnophila hippuroides Limnophila indicaLudwigia glandulosaLudwigia inclinata Ludwigia ovalisLudwigia palustrisLudwigia repensLudwigia sedioides Marsilia drummondiiMarsilea hirsutaMarsilea muticaMayaca fluviatillis Mentha aquaticaMenyanthes trifoliataMicranthemum umbrosum Micromeria brownei Microsorium pteropusMonosolenium terenumMontrichardia linifera Musa basjooMyosotis scorpioidesMyriophyllum aquaticumMyriophyllum heterophyllum.Myriophyllum mattogrossense Myriophyllum pinnatum Myriophyllum simulans Myriophyllum tuberculatum Najas gracillima Nelumbo nuciferaNeptunia aquaticaNesaea crassicaulisNesaea pedicellataNuphar japonicaNymphaea alba Nymphaea amazonumNymphaea atrans Nymphaea caeruleaNymphaea calliantha Nymphaea capensisNymphaea carpentariae Nymphaea colorata Nymphaea daubenyana Nymphaea flavovirens Nymphaea gigantea Nymphaea immutabilis Nymphaea jamesoniana Nymphaea lotus Nymphaea micrantha Nymphaea microsperma Nymphaea minuta Nymphaea prolifera Nymphaea pubescens Nymphaea pulchella Nymphaea pygmaea Nymphaea rubra Nymphaea spontanea Nymphaea stellata Nymphaea tetragona Nymphaea togoensis Nymphaea violacea Nymphoides cristataNymphoides geminataNymphoides indicaNymphoides peltataOenanthe javanicaOrontium aquaticum Oryza sativaPeltandra virginica Physostegia leptophyllaPilea cadierei Plantago majorPogostemon helferiPogostemon stellataPontederia dilatataPontederia lanceloataRanunculus flammulaRanunculus rivularisRegnellidium diphyllumRiccia fluitans Rotala macrandra Rotala nanjenshanRotala rotundifoliaRotala wallichiiSagittaria filiformisSagittaria isoeitformis Sagittaria montividensisSagittaria platyphylla Sagittaria subulataSarracenia rubraSaururus chinensisScirpus albescensShinnersia rivularis Spathiphyllum tassonSyngonium podophyllumThalia geniculata ruminoidesTulbaghia violacea Typha angustifolia Typha laxmanniiTypha minimaTyphonodorum lindleyanaVallisneria nanaVesicularia dubyanaVillarsia reniformisVictoria amazonicaVictoria cruziana Wedelia trilobataXanthosoma atrovirens Zantedeschia sp.Zephyranthes candidaZephyranthes grandiflora

[TonyO]

I've got a question. . . are there any species that are not native to Texas waters that have become naturalized here, that typically show up in stores that may be purchased or accidentally introduced to tanks?

I'm not familiar enough with Texas fauna yet to know what is native and what isn't. Are Vallisneria spp. like V. americana (spiralis) or V. gigantea native to Texas? Lemna minor (I believe it is regarded as having a cosmopolitan distribution currently, but did it originally come from somewhere else?) and other Lemna spp.?

[Mzungu]

There are many species that have been introduced into Texas waters and are now considered invasive. As such, it is illegal to possess or sell/distribute them in Texas. You won't find many for sale in stores or elsewhere.

Valisneria gigantea is native in San Marcos, and can be found there. I don't think there are any other Val species native to Texas. As far as duckweed goes, I have no idea. There are so many different kinds, and I personally abhor the plant in my tanks, so I haven't done much research on it.

Here are some links to lists of invasive aquatic plants that I refer to often:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/exotic/

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/

The TAMU website identifies all non-native plants next to their listed names, and has a good amount of pictures to help in identification.

[LanceR]

Hello TonyO,

Vallisneria americana (V. spiralis) is considered a native species. Vallisneria nana (Vallisneria gigantea) is an exotic but based on the risk assessment is was decided that the species poses a minimal risk of invasiveness and has been placed on the approved list of exotic aquatic plants. Vallisneria asiatica was also evaluated through a risk assessment and determined to pose a risk for invasiveness and is therefore prohibited.

Duck weed (Lemna minor) is considered native or established and is therefore legal.

Lance