About Hottonia inflata Elliott
This aquatic wildflower, scientifically named Hottonia inflata Elliott, also commonly called featherfoil, has two types of roots: basal fibrous roots that grow buried in the underlying mud, and thin, feather-like roots that float freely in the water. Its leaves are variable in form and growth position; they may grow fully submerged or floating on the water surface. Leaves can be linear or thread-like, and arranged along stems in alternate, opposite, or whorled patterns. They feature either pinnate or bipinnate divisions. Featherfoil produces small flowers that are white or violet in color, which grow at the tips of thickly inflated flower stalks. This species grows sporadically across the eastern United States, ranging from Texas in the south to Maine in the north, along the coastal plains of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. It inhabits swamps, ditches, and shallow ponds including beaver ponds that have relatively stable water levels.
