Water Plantain - Alisma plantago-aquatica

Scientific Name: Alisma plantago-aquatica (Alismataceae).

English Name: Water Plantain (Water Plantain Family).

French Name: Le Plantain d'eau (='water plantain').

5 Key Characters:

• large (8 - 20 cm long) pointed oval leaves with long stalks.
• pale pink 3 petalled flowers.
• flowers on branched pyramidal spike in airy whorls.
• more or less erect plant, 20 - 100 cm tall.
• leaves form a basal rosette.
  

Lookalikes: Lesser Water Plantain Baldellia ranunculoides, which is a much smaller plant, but is present at many of the same sites.

Habitat: Muddy places, in and around fresh water. Photographed above in the draw down zone of the Etang de la Ribaloche in the Foret de Preuilly during the drought of 2011.

Flowering Period: June-July-August-September.

Status: Common and widespread.

Photographed by Loire Valley Nature: