Common water plantain is a member of the arrowhead family. It can be identified by leaves which range in width and shape from arrowhead to grass­like.


The miniature white flowers, only 1/12 inch in size, are shaped like little arrows and are borne on multi-branched stems. Common water plantain prefers pond edges and shallow water. It is one of the first plants to colonize wetlands as they dry or fill with sediment.
photos by Cynthia Gehrie