Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Nymphoides peltata
FAMILY
Menyanthaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
It is now illegal to possess these plants in South Carolina. Read more.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Nymphoides peltata
FAMILY
Menyanthaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Nymphoides peltata
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Nymphoides peltata
SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Nymphoides peltata
SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT) Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Nymphoides peltatum
COMMON NAME:
Yellow Floating Heart
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_nyny_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm080607_015
June Pickens County SC
This plant is listed by several states (including SC) as a noxious weed.
)
JK Marlow jkm080607_015b
June Pickens County SC
Flowers yellow, lobes spreading, 0.8-1" long, somewhat fringed below, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).
)
JK Marlow jkm080607_019
June Pickens County SC
Leaves more cordate, the basal lobes more rounded, than those of Nymphaea, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
COMPARE
aquatic plants
)
JK Marlow jkm080607_022
June Pickens County SC
)
Steve Compton sco_floating_heart_026
June SC
This is what can happen when a homeowner dumps an aquarium...
)
JK Marlow jkm160914_118
September
SE-EPPC Aquatic Plant ID Workshop
Leaves alternate at stem base, opposite at apex; petiole cylindric, 5-10cm, per Flora of China.
)
JK Marlow jkm160914_118b
September
SE-EPPC Aquatic Plant ID Workshop
)
JK Marlow jkm160914_121
September
SE-EPPC Aquatic Plant ID Workshop
Stem cylindric, unbranched, sometimes producing rootlets from nodes, per Flora of China.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Nymphoides peltata
FAMILY
Menyanthaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Nymphoides peltata
FAMILY
Menyanthaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Nymphoides peltata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Nymphoides peltata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Nymphoides peltata
SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT)
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Nymphoides peltatum
2931
Floating-leaved aquatic (rooted); Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Ponds, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Waif(s)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants
- Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences Team: New Invaders of the Northeast
- SC List of Regulated Pest Plant Species, 2017
LEAVES:
Simple
Floating stems with multiple leaves, lower alternate & upper opposite
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Yellow
5-merous
5 sepals united at base
5 petals united only at base
5 stamens
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall?
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Field Guide to Aquatic Plants of Alabama (Lovell, 2007) p60
- New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral US (Rawlins et al., 2018) p113
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p202
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".