Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California, east across the southern half of the United States to the Atlantic.

Habitat: Ponds, lakes, and slow-moving water at low elevation.

Flowers: July-September

Origin: Introduced from South America

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Submersed, dioecious perennials, with sparingly-branching and nodally-rooting stems.

Stems very leafy; leaves in whorls of 4 or 6, 2.5-3 cm. long and 2-3 mm. broad, acuminate.

Both pistillate and staminate flowers with a long, thin, stipe-like tubular calyx, enclosed at the base in fused bracts; flowers 1-several in the bracts; calyx lobes 3, 4-5 mm. long, greenish; petals 5, white, twice as long as the calyx lobes; stamens 9; stigmas 3, bi-lobed.

Fruit berry-like, uncommon.