Plant Guide with Characteristics, Classification, and other detailed information

Plant Guide

Alisma subcordatum Raf.
American water plantain
ALSU

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Forb/herb
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator	OBL

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Spring and Summer
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Slow
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	Medium
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	White
Flower Conspicuous	Yes
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Porous
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Single Crown
Growth Rate	Moderate
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	0.5
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Moderate
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	High
CaCO3 Tolerance	Medium
Cold Stratification Required	Yes
Drought Tolerance	None
Fertility Requirement	Medium
Fire Tolerance	High
Frost Free Days, Minimum	90
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	High
pH, Minimum	5
pH, Maximum	7
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum	1700
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum	4800
Precipitation, Minimum	35
Precipitation, Maximum	60
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	8
Salinity Tolerance	None
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-33

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Spring
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	Medium
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Summer
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Propagated by Bare Root	Yes
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	No
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	Yes
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	825000
Seed Spread Rate	Moderate
Seedling Vigor	Medium
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	None

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	No
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal
Palatable Graze Animal
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class Liliopsida -- Monocotyledons

Subclass Alismatidae

Order Alismatales

Family Alismataceae -- Water-plantain family

Genus Alisma L. -- water plantain P

Species Alisma subcordatum Raf. -- American water plantain P

Alternate Names

Alisma plantago-aquatica L. ssp. subcordatum(Raf.) Hultén

Uses

Waterfowl and upland birds readily consume the seed of this broadleaf species, but the roots have not been observed to be eaten. Its small white and yellow flower are attractive, having potential use in water gardens.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

Description

This light to yellow green, erect herbaceous perennial can reach heights of about 3 feet. The ovate to lanceolate shaped leaves emerge from a 1 1/4 to 6 inch long stem. Each leaf has a primary mid-vein which is flanked by three subparallel veins. Leaf stems emerge from bulb-like corms which have shallow fibrous roots. Vegetative spread is slow and radial. This species relies on population spread by seed. Independent, single or multiple, whorl branched inflorescence rise from the plant base to a height of 3 1\2 feet. White to pinkish 3 petaled flowers bloom from June to September on compound panicles. Numerous flat, keeled, achenes form terminally in tight rings, mature from July to October. Seedlings will emerge on exposed soils, in stands of existing vegetation or newly disturbed locations.

Adaptation and Distribution

The native range of water plantain is from Massachusetts to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas. This broadleaf emergent can be found growing in shallow, quiet to slow moving water, and in mud of marshes, ponds, lakes, streams, ditches, and seeps. It requires organic or silty soils, with seasonally or permanently inundated freshwater (<0.5 parts per thousand salt content). To grow optimally, it requires full sunlight.

For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

Establishment

This species can be established effectively by vegetative divisions or seed. Bare-root or containerized vegetative propagules are used to effectively establish plantain within its hydric regime.

It is easy to handle this form of material due to its small size, ease of separation, and plantability. On site and nursery seedings are not as predictable; water plantain requires specific after ripening, stratification, and germination conditions before emergence will occur. Once established onto a site with ideal hydrology, this species will continue to re-seed itself for as long as the ideal environmental conditions exist. Ideal sites for germination require direct sunlight, finely textured soils, and adequate sustained soil moisture.

Management

On manageable sites, water depths must be kept moist to flooded (<4 inches) for the growing season. In early spring, water depths must recede, exposing seeds to bare soil to germinate. This species responds well to low to moderate levels of fertilizer amendments; naturally released nutrients from sediments and organics are usually adequate for good plant growth.

Pests and Potential Problems

There are no known detrimental pests of this species.

Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

There are no commercial varieties available, but local and regional collections are available from wetland plant nurseries.

Prepared By & Species Coordinator:

USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program

Edited: 31Jan2002 JLK; 30may06jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

Attribution: U.S. Department of Agriculture