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Water Pennywort

Hydrocotyle spp.

Water Pennywort Locations in North America
Water Pennywort Locations in Southeast US
water pennywort top view

water pennywort drawing
close up water pennywort
Water Pennywort

Water Pennywort covering water
many water pennywort
patch of pennywort


USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission and USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

What is Water Pennywort?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • Circular leaves
  • About the size of a 1/2 dollar coin
  • Shiny and leathery
  • Leaf stalks attach to center of leaf
  • Look like little umbrellas

Flowers:

  • White, greenish or yellow

Fruit:

  • Egg-shaped
  • Flattened

Stem:

  • Slender & creeping
  • Form dense mats

Roots:

  • Slender & creeping
  • Roots at nodes

Where Does it Grow?

Water pennywort can be found in and near ponds, lakes, rivers, and marshes.

Pros and Cons of Water Pennywort

The seeds of pennywort are used occasionally as food by waterfowl. 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.

What Type of Water Pennywort Do I Have?

There are three common types of Water Pennywort in Texas. Click on the buttons to learn more about each individual species.

Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Hydrocotyle umbellata
Hydrocotyle verticillata
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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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