Hydrocotyle umbellata
An aquatic herb native to the Americas, edible and medicinally used.
Hydrocotyle umbellata grows in wet, sandy areas and is an aquatic plant. Its common names include manyflower marshpennywort, dollarweed, water pennywort (in Canada), and acariçoba (in Brazil). The plant is native to North America and parts of South America. In Canada, at the northern edge of its range, it is known only from three lakes in southwestern Nova Scotia, with most of the Canadian population inside Kejimkujik National Park. In Brazil, acariçoba is used in herbal medicine, where it is thought to have anxiolytic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Elsewhere, it has been introduced and can become a noxious weed. It is an edible weed, suitable for salads or as a pot herb. In parts of its native American range, including Connecticut and Ohio, as well as in Canada, manyflower marshpennywort is considered at risk; in Canada it is federally threatened (under COSEWIC) and endangered in Nova Scotia.
The plant is an aquatic or underwater herb, either floating or creeping, and slightly succulent. Its leaves are peltate, round, 0.5–7.5 cm across, with crenate or slightly 8–20-lobed edges; the leaf stalk is thin and 0.5–40 cm long. The flowers grow in simple umbels of 10–60 blooms, or sometimes with a few stalks that branch and produce whorls of slender-stalked flowers; the flower stalks are usually a bit longer than the leaves. The fruit is ellipsoid, 1–3 mm in diameter, with obvious, blunt ribs.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Hydrocotyle
- Species
- umbellata
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Hydrocotyle umbellata is an aquatic or underwater herb, creeping or floating, with slightly succulent leaves. The leaves are peltate, orbicular, 0.5–7.5 cm in diameter, crenate or slightly 8–20-lobed, with thin petioles 0.5–40 cm long. Inflorescences are simple umbels with 10–60 flowers, sometimes with proliferating peduncles. The fruit is ellipsoid, 1–3 mm in diameter, with obvious and obtuse ribs.
In its native American range, the species is considered at risk in Connecticut and Ohio, and in Canada it is listed as threatened federally (under COSEWIC) and as endangered in Nova Scotia. At the north of its range, in Canada, it is only known from three lakes in southwestern Nova Scotia, most of the population within Kejimkujik National Park. It can also grow as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed on other continents.
Reader's Guide
Hydrocotyle umbellata is notable for its dual status as both a native species at risk in parts of its range and an introduced weed elsewhere. In Canada, its restricted distribution to three lakes in Nova Scotia, primarily within Kejimkujik National Park, underscores its vulnerability; it is listed as threatened federally and endangered provincially. Similarly, in Connecticut and Ohio it is considered a species at risk. Conversely, on other continents it has become an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. The plant also has ethnobotanical significance: in Brazil, acariçoba is used in herbal medicine for purported anxiolytic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, it is an edible weed that can be used in salads or as a pot herb. Its morphological traits—peltate leaves, umbel inflorescences, and small ellipsoid fruit—aid in identification. The species thus represents a case of contrasting conservation and invasive dynamics, as well as traditional medicinal and culinary uses.
Did You Know?
- Most of the Canadian population of water pennywort is found within Kejimkujik National Park.
- The leaves are peltate, orbicular, and 0.5–7.5 cm in diameter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hydrocotyle umbellata?
Hydrocotyle umbellata is a wetland and aquatic herb that thrives in sandy, moist environments. It produces small umbels bearing between 10 and 60 flowers each, and its round leaves can range from about half a centimeter to 7.5 centimeters across.
Where is Hydrocotyle umbellata native to?
This species is indigenous to North America and portions of South America. In Canada, its range is extremely limited, found only in three lakes in southwestern Nova Scotia, most of which fall within Kejimkujik National Park.
What are the common names for Hydrocotyle umbellata?
Depending on the region, you may encounter it called manyflower marshpennywort, dollarweed, or water pennywort in Canada. In Brazil, the same plant goes by the name acariçoba.
How large do Hydrocotyle umbellata leaves and stems get?
The round leaves typically measure between 0.5 and 7.5 centimeters in diameter, while the petioles (leaf stalks) can stretch from 0.5 up to 40 centimeters long. This wide size variation makes it a flexible choice for different aquarium setups.
Is Hydrocotyle umbellata used in traditional medicine?
Yes—in Brazil, acariçoba is employed in herbal remedies where practitioners believe it offers anxiolytic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory benefits. The plant is also noted as edible in various parts of its native range.
More in Aquarium and Aquatic Plants, Part 2 1-24
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