Hydrocotyle umbellata L.
Water pennywort, manyflower marshpennywort, dollarweed
Water pennywort is native to North America and parts of South America.
Plants: These aquatic plants float or creep on shallow fresh water, and are partly submerged. They are 3–10″ (7.6–25 cm) in size.
Leaves: Peltate, orbicular, and ⅛–3″ (5–75 mm) in diameter. Leaves are basal, or alternate along the stem. Leaf edges are crenate or slightly lobed, with 8-20 indentations. The leaves remind me of a cross between a small water lily pad and a nasturtium leaf. Leaf petioles are round, and ⅛–16″ (5–400 mm) long.
Flowers: Erect, stalked umbels contain ten to fifty flowers in a nearly spherical ball about 1″ (2.5 cm) around, or they may take the form of peduncles of several much smaller clusters, each about ⅜″ (1 cm) in diameter. Each flower is ⅛″ (3.2 mm) in size, with five spreading petals, insignificant sepals, and five stamens. Flowers appear from April to October.
Fruits: Ellipsoid, 1/32–⅛″ (1–3 mm) in diameter, and strongly ribbed.
Habitats: Marshes, shores of rivers or lakes, wetland margins; in sand, loam, clay, or mud.
Online References:
4/15/2015 · Kirby S. Storter Park, Florida 
4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm) 
4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
4/15/2015 · Kirby S. Storter Park, Florida 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Apiales | Includes carrots, celery, parsley, and ivy |
| Family | Araliaceae | Ivy family |
| Genus | Hydrocotyle | From the Greek hydor, “water,” and kotyle, “a small cup” |
| Species | umbellata | Refers to the arrangement of the flowers which arise in a head from a central point, i.e. bearing an umbel |
Hydrocotyle umbellata description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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