The generic name is derived from the Greek myrios , numberless and phyllon , leaf-in reference to the innumerable divisions of the leaves. Eurasian watermilfoil was described by Linnaeus in 1753. Aiken et al . From the initial points of introduction, Eurasian watermilfoil spread quickly by a number of agents including fishermen, boaters, and waterfowl.
Solid circles represent individual or local occurrences.
Eurasian watermilfoil is rooted to the bottom and grows toward the surface. Ecology Eurasian watermilfoil can quickly recolonize areas that have been cleared of the species because of the viability of even small fragments. Eurasian watermilfoil grows so densely that it tends to displace all other species. In the above study, no other plant colonized the denuded areas even though there were 17 other aquatic species present in the lake. Although this die-off appeared to have been caused by unknown natural causes, the effect of the collapse of the habitat and its subsequent lack of suitability for the original native species clearly have implications for control programs and their possible environmental effects.