Hottonia

Scientific name

Hottonia L.

Common names

water violet, featherfoil

Family

Primulaceae

Similar genera

Ceratophyllum, Hydrotriche, Limnophila, Myriophyllum, Proserpinaca

Native distribution

North America, Europe, western Asia

Species cultivated

Hottonia inflata Elliott (rarely cultivated)

H. palustris L.

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

submersed, emergent-creeping stem plant

Brief description

Annual or perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
. Stems elongate, submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
, floating or emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, sometimes inflatedinflated:
(adj) bladdery; swollen, or appearing so
with spongy aerenchymaaerenchyma:
(n) plant tissue with large, gas-filled intercellular spaces that facilitates gaseous exchange and maintains buoyancy
, rooted in substrate at lower nodes. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
or in whorl-like rosettes, sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
pinnate (rarely bi-pinnate). Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a racemeraceme:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranched inflorescence having pedicelled flowers on a usually elongated axis (may be cymose)
. Flowers sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
or pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
; sepals 5, green; petals fused, lobes 5, white to violet with yellow throat. Dispersal by stem fragments or seed.

Natural habitat

lakes, rivers, and swamps

Additional comments

Genus of two species, both cultivated for the aquarium hobby. Hottonia palustris is more likely to be available. Hottonia inflata has characteristic inflatedinflated:
(adj) bladdery; swollen, or appearing so
peduncles subtending the inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
.