Hippuris vulgaris L.

A herb. It grows in marshes and looks like a horses tail. It has long runners. The rootstock are spongy and creeping. The shoots are erect. It grows 20-50 cm above the water. The leaves are narrow and pale green. They are 5 cm long and 0.3 cm wide. They are arranged in rings. It varies considerably and these have sometimes been called other species names. The leaves produced under the water are different from the leaves produced above the water. The flower is green. Several small flowers occur between the leaves. The fruit is like a nut.

Pond margins, ditches etc, preferring base-rich water. Stagnant and slow-running waters, small water bodies, bogs (European alder, cottongrass and sedge), solonchakous places, muddy lake shores; at elevations up to 5,000 metres.

The young shoots are eaten. They are cooked or pickled before eating. They are also used for soup.

Plants are easily grown from cuttings. They are planted in shallow water.