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Plant
Identification
Water Shield (Dollar
Bonnet)
 Description Management
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Photos
Brasenia
schreberi
Water shield is a perennial
plant with relatively small, floating oval to elliptical leaves (to
5 inches in diameter) with no slit. Water shield has a distinctive
gelatinous slime on the underside of the leaves and coating the stems.
Leaves are green above while the underside of leaves and stems are
reddish-purple. Stems attach at the center of the leaves. Flowers are
small (9 1/2 to 3/4 inch), rise above the surface, are dull-reddish
in color and consist of 3 to 4 sepals and petals. Water shield tends
to be found in soft, acidic waters and can form large colonies.
Submerged portions of
all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro
invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by
fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks,
etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria
and fungi provides food (called "detritus") for many aquatic invertebrates. Water shield seeds are consumed by ducks and other waterfowl while the roots and stems are consumed by muskrats and nutria.
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" indicates Non-Native plants.