It tends to shade light from the plants at the bottom. This species is hard to distinguish from other Salvinia. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Salvinia auriculata can grow in a wide variety of aquatic habitats but thrives in slow-moving, nutrient-rich, warm freshwater (Bini et al., 1999). This plant and the related entity italicized and indented above can be weedy or invasive according to the authoritative sources noted below.This plant may be known by one or more common names in different places, and some are listed above. The floating ferns of the Salvinia auriculata species group originate from tropical America but are also introduced in other parts of the world. Salvinia varieties have small hairs on their leaves, making them water resistant. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant and it has become naturalized in the wild in some places.. = "aggregate") includes the species S. auriculata , S. biloba , S. herzogii and S. molesta . This species group (agg. eared watermoss. Salvinia auriculata is a species of plant in the Salviniaceae known by the common names eared watermoss, African payal, and butterfly fern. Salvinia auriculata . Light leaves are a sign of a shortage of micronutrients. Eared Water Moss (Salvinia auriculata) JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. It is native to the Americas from Mexico south to Argentina and Chile. It prefers tropical and subtropical areas with temperatures ranging from 20°C to 30°C. Salvinia auriculata is a cosmopolitan floating fern, 1-3 cm that grows quickly if there is sufficient nutrition and light.