# Marsh Dewflower (*murdannia keisak*)

The Marsh Dewflower has beautiful blue flowers that bloom in the marshy areas. This plant is a favorite spot for insects and can often be seen swaying gently in the breeze.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Marshes, wetlands, and waterlogged areas.
- **Also known as:** Dewflower, Keisak Flower, Marsh Flower

![Marsh Dewflower](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/217119090/medium.jpg)

Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/217119090)

## Appearance

The Marsh Dewflower has delicate, three-petaled flowers, usually a vibrant pink or purple, that glisten as if covered in dew. Its shiny, lance-shaped green leaves form dense, mat-like clumps in wet environments, making it stand out from typical wetland grasses.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Commelinales
- **Family:** Commelinaceae
- **Genus:** Murdannia

## Interesting facts

- Despite loving water, its leaves have a special coating to shed drops instantly!
- In some places, this plant is gathered and eaten as a tasty leafy green vegetable!
- Its tiny, three-petaled flowers look like delicate jewels sparkling with morning dew!
- This speedy plant can grow so fast, it sometimes takes over whole waterways!

## Special abilities

- **Water Repellent Coat:** Marsh Dewflower has waxy leaves that repel water, helping it shed excess moisture and breathe in watery habitats.
- **Rapid Water Spread:** Marsh Dewflower can rapidly grow new roots and shoots from stem fragments, letting it quickly colonize new wet areas!
- **Seasonal Sprint:** Marsh Dewflower completes its entire life cycle in one season, producing seeds quickly before cold weather arrives.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-60 cm
- **Spread:** 10-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — small flowers provide nectar
- **Eaten by:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — waterfowl graze on its shoots
- **Shelter:** Mosquitofish (*Gambusia affinis*) — dense mats offer cover

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Marsh Dewflower?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Marsh Dewflower?

30-60 cm

### How wide does Marsh Dewflower spread?

10-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on Marsh Dewflower?

1-1.5 cm

### When does Marsh Dewflower bloom?

Summer

### Is Marsh Dewflower edible?

Yes

### Is Marsh Dewflower toxic?

None

### What is Marsh Dewflower's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Rugby](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rugby) — Tennessee, US · Neighborhood
- [Crooked Creek Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crooked-creek-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Marsh Dewflower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/marsh-dewflower)