Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Brasenia schreberi

Flowers. Photographers JE & Bonnie McClellan, California, USA

Flowers. Photographer Susan Ellioot, Vermont, USA

Line drawing. USDA NRCS Plants Database: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 2: 76

Common name

Watershield

Family

Cabombaceae

Where found

In shallow freshwater lagoons or backwaters. Coastal north from east of Moruya.

Notes

Spreading herb, rooting at the nodes. Stems, leaf stalks, and the lower surface of the leaves covered with clear mucilage. Leaves alternating along the stems, 2.5-9 cm long, 15-60 mm wide, peltate, lower surface often red. Leaf stalks to 2 m long, depending on water depth. Flowers dark maroon, purplish or reddish black, with 6-8 'petals' each 9–18 mm long. Flowers Oct.–Feb. The flowers rise twice to the surface, firstly to be pollinated, then a day later to release pollen.

Vulnerable Vic. Listed in Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Vic.

PlantNET description:   http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Brasenia~schreberi  (accessed 6 January, 2021)