Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Alisma plantago-aquatica

Flowers and buds. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, near Goulburn

Flowering plant. Photographer Don Wood, Trunketabella Creek, near Bodalla

Common name

Water plantain

Family

Alismataceae

Where found

In shallow freshwater or mud above the receding water line in a range of habitats, along streams. Widespread. No records from Kosciuszko National Park, and few from the Western Slopes and tablelands.

Notes

Perennial or annual herb to 1.5 m high. Leaves at the base of the plant, 5-28 cm long, 30–130 mm wide, on long stalks, surfaces usually with 7 prominent parallel longitudinal veins connected by numerous transverse veins, bases rounded to cordate. Flowers about 5-10 mm in diameter, pale pink to almost white, with 3 petals. Flowers in large open branched clusters. Flowers summer to autumn.

All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Alisma~plantago-aquatica  (accessed 2 January, 2021)