Weed Information: Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (pennywort, floating)
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Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (pennywort, floating)

Family: Apiaceae

Description

An aquatic or semi-aquatic, with round to kidney-shaped leaves and flowers in simple umbels.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • Yellow
  • Yellow-green
  • Green
  • White
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Simple umbel
Number of Petals
  • 5 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
Petal Tip
  • Rounded
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • 1 mm (.04 inch)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • sepals lacking
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • 2 styles
Number of Stamens
  • 5 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens NOT attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Filaments or anthers NOT united

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 2 carpels
Ovary Position
  • Inferior (epigynous)
Fruit Type
  • Schizocarp
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • All basal
Leaf Type
  • Simple (including lobed leaves)
Stipules
  • Lacking
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Palmate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole > 75% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.6 - 4.0 inches)
Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)
  • Orbicular (round)
  • Palmately > 5 lobed
  • Reniform (kidney)
Succulence
  • Succulent
  • Not succulent
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Lobed
  • Parted
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Cordate
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Rounded (obtuse)
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Glabrous (NO hairs)

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Not aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Perennial
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Prostrate
  • Floating
Plant Height at Maturity
  • < 1 cm (< .40 inch)
  • 1 - 5 cm (.40 - 2.0 inches)
  • 5 - 10 cm (2.0 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
Wind Dissemination
  • Not wind disseminated
Moisture Regime
  • Aquatic
  • Semi-aquatic
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem leafless
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem unbranched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Fibrous
  • Rooting at the nodes

US State
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • New Jersey
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
  • Maryland
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Washington
Other
  • District of Columbia

  • Aquatic and Riparian Plants of the West, 2003 (ISBN# 1-879906-59-7) See page: 159
  • Weeds of Arkansas 1981 (MP 169-5M-3-81) See page: 64
  • Weeds of California and other Western States, 2007 (ISBN 13: 978-1-879906-69-3) See Page: 147
  • Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses, 1992 Univ. of Florida, Gainesville Publication # SP-79, See page: 192
  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 x
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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