Hydrocharis morsus-ranae

European Frogbit

EUROPEAN FROG'S-BIT

NOT NATIVE TO MAINE - INVASIVE

Habitat: European frog-bit is found in the emergent to floating-leaved plant community. It is a free-floating plant that thrives in open marsh habitat and quiet backwaters forming dense floating colonies.

Description: European frog-bit is a small free-floating aquatic plant. Its small kidney or heart shaped water-lily like leaves (1.3 – 6.3 cm long) are not anchored to the bottom substrate. The floating leaves have elongate stalks, 4-6 cm long, and form a rosette from the short submerged stem. Simple unbranched root-like tendrils (resembling slender bottle brushes) dangle below. The flowers of European frog-bit have three white petals with a yellow center.

Origin and Range: European frog-bit is native to Europe. It is not native to New England and is considered invasive to this area. It is now present in Vermont and New York.

Annual Cycle: Reproduction is most often vegetative. Stolons grow and produce vegetative buds (turions) that grow during the summer and then fall to the substrate where they lay dormant for the winter. In the spring, the turions rise in the water column, where they grow. Flowers bloom in the spring.

Look Alikes: water-lilies, water-shield, spatterdock, and little floating heart