Arrowhead

Flower: Arrowhead produces striking white flowers with three broad petals and a yellow or purplish centre. These appear in whorled clusters on tall, upright stems from July to September. The flowers are unisexual, with male flowers usually above the female ones on the same plant. They grow above the water s... Fruit: After pollination, the female flowers develop into small, rounded clusters of dry fruits known as achenes. These achenes are buoyant and can float, aiding dispersal via water currents. Each fruit contains a single seed, and the entire cluster may remain attached to the plant above the water or event... Leaves: The plant's name comes from its distinctive arrowhead-shaped leaves, which are sharply pointed and emerge above the water on long stalks. Submerged leaves, however, are strap-like or linear and quite different in form. This dual-leaf structure helps the plant thrive in aquatic environments. The emer...

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Broad-leaved Arrowhead

Flower: The white (pink tinged) flowers have 3 petals and 3 green sepals. They form flower spikes and each flower is about 4cm wide. This species is similar to Arrowhead (Sagittaria saggitifolia) but without the base of the petals being purple. Purple stamens. Insect pollinated. Fruit: The fruits are globular and produce seeds that ripen in August and September. Leaves: Arrow-shaped leaves on the end of a stalk, up to 30cm in length. Perennial.

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Narrow-leaved Arrowhead

Flower: The flowers of Sagittaria subulata are small, white, and three-petaled, typically blooming in summer (June to September). They arise above the water surface on slender stalks, with separate male and female flowers often found on the same inflorescence—males higher up, females below. Each flower meas... Fruit: Fruits are small, dry achenes grouped into globular clusters after flowering. Each achene has a distinctive wing or beak that aids in water dispersal. The seeds have no known culinary or foraging use for humans but may be eaten by waterfowl and contribute to the aquatic food web. Leaves: Leaves are extremely narrow, linear, and grass-like, typically submerged or sometimes floating. Unlike the typical arrow-shaped leaves of some other Sagittaria species, this one has no pronounced blade—hence the species name subulata, meaning awl-shaped. The leaves can reach 10–30 cm long but are us...

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Canadian Arrowhead

Flower: Flowers are in whorls of 3, each measuring approximately 1 inch across. The petals are white, tinged pink. 6 or more stamens. Pollinated by insects. Fruit: Globular fruit covered in hooked seeds. The fruit turns reddish as the seeds mature. Leaves: An aquatic perennial with submerged, broadly elliptical, long-stalked leaves, tapering to a point.

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Bog Arum

Flower: Bog Arum produces a striking, arum-like inflorescence consisting of a creamy-white spathe that wraps around a short, yellow-green spadix. The spathe is around 4–6 cm long, and the flowering period typically occurs in late spring to early summer (May to July). The spadix is covered with tiny, bisexua... Fruit: The plant develops a cluster of bright red berries in late summer. These are fleshy, rounded, and contain several seeds. While visually attractive, the berries are toxic if ingested, containing irritating compounds that can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Leaves: Bog Arum has glossy, dark green, heart- or kidney-shaped leaves with long stalks, often growing up to 15 cm long. They emerge from a creeping rhizome and often form a loose rosette. The leaves are thick and waxy, helping them survive in their typical waterlogged habitats.

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Awlwort

Flower: Awlwort bears tiny, white, four-petalled flowers that are typical of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae). Each flower is about 2–4 mm across, often inconspicuous and held just above the water or even submerged. Flowering typically occurs from June to August, and the delicate flowers may go unnoticed u... Fruit: The fruits are small cylindrical capsules, around 5–10 mm long, that develop from the flowers and contain numerous minute seeds. As is typical in the Brassicaceae family, these seedpods (siliques) dry and split open to release seeds that are easily dispersed by water movement. Leaves: Leaves are slender, awl-shaped (narrow and tapering to a fine point), which gives the plant its name. They are bright green, soft, and typically grow in rosettes at the base, submerged or floating just under the water surface. Each leaf is 2–6 cm long and lacks a distinct stalk (sessile). The plant ...

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White Beak-sedge

Flower: White Beak-sedge (Rhynchospora alba) features small, inconspicuous flowers with pale to creamy-colored petals, typically arranged in compact clusters or spikelets at the tips of its slender, grass-like stems. The flowers are delicate and often go unnoticed due to their subtle appearance, but they ad... Fruit: The fruit of White Beak-sedge consists of small, nut-like achenes. These achenes are typically dark brown or black and are attached to the plant's stem in clusters. They have a hard, seed-like shell and are dispersed by wind or water, contributing to the plant's reproductive cycle. Leaves: The leaves of White Beak-sedge are long, slender, and grass-like in appearance. They are typically dark green and have a linear shape. These leaves grow in dense tufts and arise from the base of the plant, forming an attractive clump. The leaves are typically smooth and narrow, adding to the overall...

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Marsh Bedstraw

Flower: Marsh Bedstraw produces small, star-like white flowers from June to September. Each flower has four narrow petals arranged in a cross shape, giving a delicate, open appearance. The flowers grow in loose, branched clusters at the tips of stems and leaf axils. Though individually tiny—only 2–3 mm acro... Fruit: The fruit consists of a pair of tiny round nutlets, each with a rough surface and covered in hooked bristles that help them cling to passing animals or float in water. These ripen in late summer and autumn. This method of dispersal aids the plant’s spread through marshes, ditches, and boggy areas. Leaves: Leaves are narrow, lance-shaped, and arranged in whorls of four to six around the stem. They are smooth-edged, with a slightly glossy green surface, and lack the backward-pointing hooks seen in some other Galium species. The stems are weak and square in cross-section, often sprawling or scrambling o...

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Amphibious Bistort

Flower: Amphibious Bistort produces dense, cylindrical spikes of small pink flowers that bloom from June to September. These flower spikes typically emerge above water or from creeping stems in damp soil, depending on the plant’s growing form. The spikes are about 2–5 cm long and composed of many tiny five-... Fruit: After flowering, each bloom produces a small, three-sided, dark brown fruit known as an achene. These fruits are dry and do not split open, developing in late summer and autumn. Although inconspicuous, they contribute to the plant’s spread via water or by clinging to passing animals. Leaves: This species has two growth forms—aquatic and terrestrial. In water, the leaves are large, floating, oval-shaped, and glossy, often with a reddish midrib. On land, the plant produces elongated, wavy-edged leaves on sprawling stems that root at nodes. All leaf types are alternate and stalked, and the...

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New Forest Bladderwort

Flower: 2-lipped. The airborne flowers appear on stalked, leafless stems. The flowers of New Forest Bladderwort have a broad, flat lip. Fruit: The fruit is a capsule. Leaves: A carnivorous aquatic plant whose leaves are comprised of numerous thread-like segments. Its minute bristles and small bladders trap insects as a means of obtaining food. In autumn, the bladders fill with water and cause the plant to sink to the bottom. In the British Isles, this species only occurs...

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Lesser Bladderwort

Flower: Pale greenish-yellow, up to 8mm across. The flowers have a short, blunt spur. The flowers look similar to those of Snapdragon. Fruit: The fruit is a round capsule. Leaves: A small, carnivorous, perennial flower with leaves that alternate along the stems. This is the smallest of the British Bladderwort species. The leaves are sometimes bristled. The bladders trap small animals inside them in order to feed.

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Intermediate Bladderwort

Flower: Utricularia intermedia produces small yellow flowers, typically around 10–12 mm across, held singly or in pairs on slender upright stalks (scapes) that rise above the water or damp substrate. Each flower has a two-lipped corolla with a prominent lower lip and short spur, resembling those of U. vulga... Fruit: The fruit is a tiny capsule that contains numerous minute seeds, though Utricularia intermedia reproduces more often vegetatively than by seed. In colder or nutrient-poor habitats, it forms turions (winter buds), which sink and survive at the bottom of the waterbody before resprouting in spring. Fru... Leaves: The plant lacks traditional foliage. Instead, it produces two types of finely divided shoots: green sterile shoots for photosynthesis and pale, root-like shoots that bear numerous small bladder traps (utricles) used to capture minute aquatic invertebrates. This division of function—unique among Brit...

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Nordic Bladderwort

Flower: Utricularia stygia produces small, violet to deep purple flowers on slender, erect stalks (scapes) that rise above the water surface. Each flower is around 6–10 mm across and consists of a two-lipped corolla, with the lower lip often having yellow markings. The flowering period in the UK is typicall... Fruit: The fruit is a tiny capsule containing many minute seeds, but in practice, Utricularia stygia reproduces far more commonly via vegetative means. Like other bladderworts, it overwinters by producing turions—compact, bud-like structures that sink to the bottom and re-sprout in spring. Seed production ... Leaves: This species lacks traditional leaves. Instead, it has finely divided, rootless submerged shoots bearing minute bladder traps (utricles). These bladders are less than 2 mm wide and are used to trap and digest tiny aquatic organisms, such as protozoa and small crustaceans. The traps operate with a va...

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Pale Bladderwort

Flower: Small, pale yellow flowers, up to 14mm across. The lower lip has downturned edges. The spur is up to 4mm long. Fruit: Very rarely seen. Leaves: The floating stems have green leaves and a few bladders. The underwater stems have some non-green leaves and numerous bladders. The bladders are organs which trap insects in order for the plant to feed. This plant is carnivorous. Perennial, aquatic.

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Wavy Bladderwort

Flower: Yellow flowers, up to 15mm across. The lower lip has flat or slightly upturned margins and the spur is 7 or 8mm long. Flowers are on stems between 10 and 20cm in length. This species is similar in appearance to Greater Bladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris) but has paler flowers and the lower lip of Gre... Fruit: The fruits are rarely seen in the British Isles. They are a many-seeded, globular capsule, similar in appearance to a small grape. Leaves: An aquatic perennial species. The green, thread-like, segmented leaves are present on both submerged and aerial stems.

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