''Hydrocotyle umbellata'' is an

aquatic plant Aquatic plants, also referred to as hydrophytes, are vascular plants and Non-vascular plant, non-vascular plants that have adapted to live in aquatic ecosystem, aquatic environments (marine ecosystem, saltwater or freshwater ecosystem, freshwater ...

that thrives in wet, sandy habitat. Its English common name is manyflower marshpennywort or dollarweed. It is native to North America and parts of South America. In Brazil it is known as acariçoba and has applications in herbal medicine with purported

anxiolytic An anxiolytic (; also antipanic or anti-anxiety agent) is a medication or other intervention that reduces anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiogenic agents which increase anxiety. Anxiolytic medications are used for the treatment of anxie ...

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

and anti-inflammatory properties. It can also be found growing as an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

and sometimes a

noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is harmful to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or lives ...

on other continents. It is an edible weed that can be used in salads or as a pot herb.

Description

They are aquatic or underwater herbs, floating or creeping, slightly succulent. The leaves are peltate, orbicular, 0.5–7.5 cm in diameter, crenate or slightly 8–20-lobed; petiole thin, 0.5–40 cm long. Inflorescences in the form of simple umbels with 10–60 flowers or a few peduncles proliferating and embracing whorls of slender-pedicellate flowers, peduncles usually slightly longer than the leaves. Ellipsoid fruit, 1–3 mm in diameter, with obvious and obtuse ribs.

References

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
umbellata Aquatic plants Flora of Northern America Flora of Central America Flora of Southern America Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Araliaceae-stub