manyflower marshpennywort

Hydrocotyle umbellata

Manyflower marshpennywort is a small, green plant that loves to grow in wet places. Its round leaves float on the water, making it look like a little green umbrella!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The manyflower marshpennywort has bright green, circular leaves that resemble miniature pennies, often floating on or just above the water's surface. Its delicate stems creep along wet ground, topped by small, star-shaped white or greenish flowers clustered like tiny umbrellas.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderApialesFamilyAraliaceaeGenusHydrocotyle

manyflower marshpennywort

Interesting facts

Even though it loves water, it can also grow on land for a while!

It can grow new plants from just a small piece of its stem!

Its tiny flowers are grouped together like a miniature umbrella!

Some people eat its fresh, crisp leaves in salads!

Special abilities

The manyflower marshpennywort can soak up extra nutrients from water, helping to keep its wetland home clean and healthy.

Manyflower marshpennywort uses special underground stems to quickly spread across wet areas, claiming new territory efficiently.

This plant can thrive both underwater and on soggy land, adapting its leaves to suit its wet environment.

Measurements & details

Height: 5-20 cm
Spread: 30-100 cm
Flower Size: 0.1-0.3 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to early fall
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

eaten by

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Mallards eat its seeds and foliage.

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

Tiny flowers provide nectar for bees.

shelters

American bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

Frogs hide among its dense leaves.

eats

Giant apple snail

Pomacea maculata

Snails graze on its soft leaves.

Traits

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Cluster Flower

Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.

Medicinal

Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.