Habitat: bank, coast, dry, flat , grassland, gravel, gully, lake margin, lava, lowland, margin, moist, open, pasture, peat, roadside, sand, scrubland, sheltered, silt, terrace

Dispersal: Seed, vegetative

Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
 Recognition
  • a low-growing aquatic herbaceous plant with sprawling stems that root at the nodes.
  • these mostly hairless stems emerge above the water or spread out over the water surface.
  • its oppositly arranged leaves (1-4 cm long) are green and glossy.
  • its small (about 3 mm long) flowers lack petals and have four persistent sepals.
  • its capsules (3-4.5 cm long) contain numerous tiny seeds.
 Images
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Weeds Key – interactive key to the weed species of New Zealand
 References
Howell, C. 2008: Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. DOC Research & Development Series 292: 42.