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Hydrocharis morsus-ranae [Common Frogbit]


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Rørslett, B. 2014. Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L. (Hydrocharitaceae). Common Frogbit. Flowers photographed in visible and ultraviolet light. http://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php?/topic/967-hydrocharis-morsus-ranae-common-frogbit/

 

Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L.

 

NO: Froskebitt

SE: Dyblad

DK: Frøbid

FI: Kilpukka

DE: Froschbiß

EN: Frogbit; Common Frogbit; European Frogbit

 

This is a small free-floating aquatic plant, native to Europe and introduced to northern America. It thrives in nutrient-rich stagnant waters where its small kidney-shaped floating leaves quickly can carpet the water surface during the growing season. The plants are either male or female and in the northern parts of Europe, female plants prevail. The showy, snow-white flowers are short-lived and eagerly visited by small pollinators. Flowering is very occasional, however, thus in Norway, it took me nearly thirty years to find the first specimens with flowers. As so many other aquatic macrophytes, vegetative propagation is efficient and the means for this are well developed in form of runners and winter buds (turions).

 

H. morsus-ranae is an endangered species in Norway. I found these plants near Fredrikstad, in the southern part of the country, 9 August 2014.

 

HYDR_MOR_B1408095198_VIS.jpg

Image reference: HYDR_MOR_B1408095198_VIS

Visible light: Nikon Df, Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 125 mm f/2.5 lens, daylight.

 

HYDR_MOR_I1408092142_UV.jpg

Image reference: HYDR_MOR_I1408092142_UV

Ultraviolet light: Nikon D3200 (modified), Coastal Optics 60 mm f/4 AP lens, internal Baader U2" (Venus) filter, SB-140 flash.

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Floral structures in whorls of three are one of many key features of the monocots.

 

A quick look in the flora would tell you the same. This is order Alismatales which contains a lot of aquatic plants.

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I knew monocots were 3-eous. But I thought that perhaps some dicots could also have 3 or 6 petals also?? Seems not to be so. Very interesting. :D
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