Heteranthera reniformis Ruiz & Pav.

Kidney Leaf Mud Plantain

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Kidney Leaf Mud Plantain is a native herbaceous perennial in the Pickerel Weed family (Pontideriaceae). It occurs throughout most of Alabama. Kidney Leaf Mud Plantain grows on the banks or floating in small, slow-moving streams, in ponds, on the banks of rivers, on mudflats, and in wet roadside ditches. It is a perennial with a creeping stem that roots at the nodes. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, reniform or cordate in outline, entire, and glabrous. The stems and leaves are spongy. Flowers are produced in spikes of 2-8 flowers from the axils of the leaves. The flowers open in early morning and usually wither by afternoon. The flowers are subtended by a spathe. Individual flowers are white in color with a tubular portion and 6 lobes. The tepals are glandular pubescent on the outer surface. The corolla has 6 lobes, with the central lobe being the largest. The central lobe has a yellow and purple-brown spot at its base. There are three stamens. The lateral two stamens are small and have yellow anthers. The central stamen is larger and has a blue anther. The fruit is a capsule with 8-14 winged seed. Kidney Leaf Mud Plantain is sometimes available from nurseries that sell aquatic plants. It can be grown in a pool. Kidney Leaf Mud Plantain has been introduced, and is considered a weed, in Hawaii, Australia, and Italy.--A. Diamond

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Native OBL (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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