Appearance ²

Aquatic plant. Long stem with leaves mainly at the top of the stem, which float on the water. The leaves are wide, triangle-shaped and heavily toothed and are clumped together in a rosette. Underwater leaves are featherlike. It grows small, white, four-petalled flowers which turn into hard, spiky nuts.

Introduction ²

Imported before 1979 as an ornamental plant.

Similar Native Species ²

None

Impacts on Ecosystem ²

Crowds out and shades out other aquatic plants. Decreases oxygen levels in water.

Citations ²

http://www.invadingspecies.com/invaders/plants-aquatic/european-water-chestnut/
http://www.nyis.info/?action=invasive_detail&id=39
http://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=3499

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Karelj, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trapa_natans_Prague_2012_1.jpg
2. (c) gburg2016, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• African Plants - a photo guide
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online
• 日本のレッドデータ検索システム
• 植物和名−学名インデックス YList

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