Coastal Waterhyssop

Bacopa monnieri

Illustration: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. Vol. 3: 192.

What is Coastal Waterhyssop?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

• Relatively thick
• 1/8 inch wide
• 5/8 inch long
• Slightly sword-shaped
• Opposite
• 1 veined

Flowers:

• Small
• White
• 4-5 petals
• Bell-shaped
• Slender peduncles
• Often tinged with blue or pink
• Sepals small, oval-shaped and shiny
• 5 lobes

Fruit:

• Egg-shaped

Stem:

• Many branches
• Branches 3 15/16-11 13/16 inches long

Roots:

• Rooting at the nodes

Where Does It Grow?

USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

Coastal waterhyssop can be found in fresh and brackish waters.

Pros and Cons of Coastal Waterhyssop

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.