Nymphoides aquatica
big floatingheart, floating hears, banana lily
Family
Menyanthaceae
Leaf Arrangement
basal (rosulate)
Leaf Attachment
petiolate
Leaf Margin
entire
Leaf Type
simple
Leaf Shape
reniform, suborbicular
Growth Form
forb, floating aquatic, aquatic
Flower Color
white
Flower Month
April - September
Milky Sap
No
Armed/Unarmed
Unarmed
Origin
native
Lifespan
perennial
Wetland Class
OBL
Wetland Coefficient of Conservatism
7
Field Characters
Floating plant, rooted in mud, with rounded leaves having a notch on one end. Leaves are green above and purple below. Gets its common name "banana-lily" from the cluster of thick banana-shaped roots, located close to the leaves near the surface of the water.
Habitat
Still water, ponds and sluggish streams, swamp forests.