Plant · GBIF taxon 3034603
American Water-pennywort
Hydrocotyle americanaAlso known as American Marsh-pennywort, Marsh Pennywort
American water-pennywort carpets saturated forest floors, spring runs, and shaded stream banks across eastern North America with lush mats of scalloped, kidney-shaped leaves. Slender thread-like stolons creep along damp muddy soils, rooting at the nodes to form dense green patches throughout wet woods. In midsummer, tiny greenish-white flowers bloom almost unnoticed in compact clusters nestled directly in the leaf axils.
WetlandCreepingPerennial
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Aquatic snails
- Waterfowl
- Herbivorous insects
ThreatsWetland drainage, canopy clearing, invasive plant competition
HabitatsShaded seeps, stream banks, wet woods, spring runs, swamps
Life spanPerennial
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyAraliaceae
- SpeciesHydrocotyle americana
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Habitat Cues: Look along shaded muddy stream banks, seeps, and spring runs where soils remain continuously saturated.
- Leaf Inspection: Examine the leaf stem attachment, which connects at the scalloped leaf notch rather than the center.
Frequent Companion (c) Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael J. Papay · cc-by
Similar Habit no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子 · cc0
Close Relative (c) Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） · cc-by
Close Relative Forest & Kim Starr / CC BY 3.0 · cc-by
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