Water plantain
Alisma triviale · Aquatic plants
Out of the water · Photo: Alex Baxter / CC BY
Also called Northern water plantain, Alisma plantago aquatica (older name)
How to identify Water plantain
- Oval leaves on long stalks from a basal rosette
- Tall, open, whorled branches of tiny white flowers
- Leaves with parallel curved veins
- Flattened seeds in a ring
Similar plants
Arrowheads have arrow shaped leaves and larger flowers; narrowleaf water plantain has strap leaves.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Leaves emerge in late spring, flowers June to September and dies back in fall. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 50 to 55 F soil; full sun |
| Light | Full sun |
| Depth | Moist shoreline to about 1 foot of water |
| How it spreads | Seeds and short rootstocks |
| Habitat | Marshes, pond edges, ditches and muddy shores. |
Why it matters in a lake
Seeds float and spread easily; seeds feed ducks.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Alismatales |
| Family | Alismataceae |
| Scientific name | Alisma triviale |
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