Jan Rehschuh · Public domain
About
Also known by common names like marsh pennywort, money plant, and dollarweed, *Hydrocotyle vulgaris* is a small, creeping aquatic perennial that is notable for its edible nature and ability to form extensive, mat-like offshoots.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant features umbrella-like, serrated, rounded, shield-shaped leaves that can reach a diameter of up to 4 centimeters, though they are often smaller. The leaves are described as fresh green, shiny, and waxy, with a clear, radially extending vein. It produces numerous, up to 1 meter long, creeping offshoots. Small, inconspicuous, hermaphrodite flowers appear in low-flowered inflorescences or whorls, with petals that are greenish, white, or reddish. The flowering period is from July to August.
Distribution & habitat
Native to North Africa, Europe, the Caucasus, and parts of the Levant. It is plentiful throughout much of its range in Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.
Cultivation notes
This low maintenance plant prefers reliably moist humus under full sun or in part shade, and can also be grown as an aquatic plant in mud at the side of a pond or water garden in up to 2 inches of stagnant water. Despite its habitat in water, care must be taken to avoid over-watering, which can cause root rot.
Conservation
While plentiful in much of its range, the species is classed as critically endangered in Croatia, vulnerable in Switzerland, and near threatened in Norway. It is also protected under regional legislation in France.
Habitat
- Altitude
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- Altitude Class
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Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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