Common water-plantain  (Alisma plantago-aquatica)

Common water-plantain

Facts

Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Anthophyta
Class Liliopsida
Order Alismatales
Family Alismataceae
Genus Alisma (1)
Size Height: 20-100 cm (2)
Leaf blade length: 8-20 cm (2)
Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life, at Nature NavigatorNatural History museum logo

Status

Widespread (3).

Description

Common water-plantain is a stout aquatic herb with oval-shaped leaves, which may be rounded or heart-shaped at the base (4). The pale lilac flowers are borne on a greatly branching inflorescence, and open between 1pm and 7pm each day (2). The curvature of the ribs on the leaves of water plantain was one of the inspirational natural features used by John Ruskin in the development of his theories on gothic architecture; he claimed that they were models of 'divine proportion' (5).

Range

Widespread throughout much of Britain, but rarer in the north of Scotland, Shetland, the Outer Hebrides and Orkney. Elsewhere, it is found in temperate Europe (2), and has become widely naturalised outside of its natural range (3).

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network GatewayDisplay NBN Map Button

Habitat

This species is usually found growing at the edge of still or slow-flowing water, as well as in swamps and marshes (3).

Biology

Common water-plantain flowers from June to August (4). It fruits prolifically, and readily colonises recently cleared ditches and flooded mineral workings (3).

Threats

This species is not threatened.

Conservation

Conservation action is not needed.

Further Information

For more information on British plants and their conservation see Plantlife- the wild plant conservation charity:
http://www.plantlife.org.uk/
Visit the website of the Botanical Society of the British Isles at:
http://www.bsbi.org.uk

Authentication

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

Glossary

Inflorescence: the reproductive shoot of the plant, which bears flowers (see http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/pdfs/flower.pdf for a fact sheet on flower structure)

References

  1. National Biodiversity Network Species Dictionary (Feb 2003):
    http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nbn
  2. Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. (1987) Flora of the British Isles. 3rd Edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  3. Preston, C.D., Pearman, D.A. & Dines, T.D. (2002) The New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  4. Press, B. & Gibbons, B (1993) Photographic field guide to wild flowers of Britain and Europe. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd, London.
  5. Mabey, R. (1996) Flora Britannica. Sinclair-Stevenson, London.