Mud Plantain
Alisma subcordatum, also known as the American water plantain or mud plantain, is a perennial aquatic plant found in North America. Here's what I found about it:
- Appearance: It grows up to 3 feet tall with long-petioled, broad, ovate to elliptic leaves that can reach up to 15 cm long. The leaves are usually emersed but can also be floating. The inflorescence is a branched panicle with small white to pink flowers that bloom from June to September.
- Habitat: It prefers shallow, still or slow-moving water, such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and marshes. It can also be found in wet meadows and along riverbanks.
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Ecology: Alisma subcordatum is an important food source for waterfowl, fish, and some amphibians. It also helps to improve water quality by filtering out pollutants.
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Traditional uses: Native Americans used the dried roots of Alisma subcordatum as a food source and to treat a variety of ailments.
Alisma subcordatum, also known as Water Plantain, American Water Plantain, or Southern Water Plantain, is native to a large portion of North America, including most of the Eastern and Central United States and parts of Canada. Here's a comprehensive list of the states where it's considered native:
Northeast:
Connecticut
Delaware
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
Southeast:
Alabama
Georgia
Kentucky
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Midwest:
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
Ohio
South Dakota
Wisconsin
Central:
Arkansas
Oklahoma
Texas
