Two species of the water fern Salvinia (S. minima Baker and S. molesta D. S. Mitchell) are known from Alabama. Members of this genus have often been used as aquarium (Muehlberg 1980) and water garden plants and have been distributed through both trades. Salvinia is a floating aquatic fern with stiff, erect hairs on the adaxial leaf surface (surface away from the water), each hair branched distally into four. These hair branches are taxonomic characteristics used to distinguish the Alabama species. Those of S. minima are separate distally, whereas those of S. molesta are connate distally, the latter appearing as a birdcage sitting on an erect pedestal.