THIS IS A DRAFT
The species account below is an early version, drafted around 2003. It has been provided here to aid understanding, but please be aware it may not fully tally with the up-to-date map and statistics shown below.
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Floating Pennywort
Species Details
Floating Pennywort is a casual perennial that has only been recorded for our area from the Etherow Reserve (SJ9791). Nationally it occurs in south-eastern England where it is spreading rapidly on the margins of slow moving water bodies (Preston XXet al. 2002). It is grown for ornament in artificial water bodies from where it readily invades more natural situations. Once established, it can from very dense colonies that exclude native species. It is thus disliked by conservationists, who have been making vigorous attempts to eradicate it. It is a native of North America.