Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Pontederia cordata L.

Synonyms

Pontederia cordata L. var. cordata
Pontederia cordata L. var. lanceolata (Nutt.) Griseb.
Pontederia lanceolata Nutt.

Family

Pontederiaceae

Common Names

blue pickerel, blue pickerel weed, blue-flag, dog-tongue, pickerel plant, pickerel rush, pickerel weed, pickerel-weed, pickerelweed, pontederia, wampee, white pickerel weed

Origin

Native to eastern Canada, eastern USA, Central America (i.e. Belize), the Caribbean (i.e. Cuba) and South America (i.e. Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay).

Naturalised Distribution

This species has a widespread but very scattered distribution in Australia. It is naturalised in some inland parts of southern New South Wales, in southern Victoria and in south-western Western Australia. It is also sparingly naturalised in south-eastern South Australia and was previously naturalised in Queensland.

Notes

Pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata) is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria, and as a potential environmental weed or "sleeper weed" in other parts of Australia.