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Limnocharis flava (L.) Buchenau
| Family Name: | Alismataceae |
| Synonyms: | Alisma flava L., Limnocharis emarginata Bonpl., Limnocharis plumieri Rich. |
| Common Name: | Sawah Lettuce, Yellow Velvetleaf, Yellow Burrhead, Hermit’s WaterLily, 黄花蔺 |
Limnocharis flava, or known as Sawah Lettuce, is a fast-growing, aquatic herbaceous plant that can grow up to 50 cm tall. It produces lime-green to bluish-green leaves with near circular leaf blades and yellow flowers with cream margins. Though native to tropical America, it has been naturalised in the waterbodies and slow-moving waterways within Southeast Asia, including Singapore.
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Herbaceous Plant, Aquatic (Emergent Aquatic, Waterside / Marginal) |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Maximum Height | 50 cm to 120 cm |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Trinidad-Tobago, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Northern, Northeastern and Southeastern Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay & Northeastern and Northwestern Argentina. |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Aquatic (Freshwater Pond / Lake / River) |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical |
| Local Conservation Status | Non-native (Spontaneous (Naturalised)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is an erect, perennial, aquatic herbaceous plant, growing up to 50–120 cm tall. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | The leaves are lime-green or bluish-green, smooth and hairless and arranged in a basal rosette. The leaf blades are either ovate or near circular in shape, with 7–17 main nerves and numerous secondary nerves running in parallel. The petioles (leaf stalks) are up to 85 cm long, thick and triangular in cross-section with many air chambers. |
| Flowers | The inflorescence is an umbel (a type of inflorescence in which the flowers arise from a common point on the inflorescence stalk) with 3–15 yellow flowers with cream margins. The peduncle (inflorescence stalk) can grow up to 90 cm in length, standing erect when flowering and curving downwards when fruiting. The flowers open in the morning only for a few hours. |
| Fruit | The fruit is compound capsule (a type of dry, dehiscent fruit), which is globose or broadly ellipsoid in shape and contains numerous dark-brown, horseshoe-shaped seeds. The seeds are propagated by water. |
| Reproductive Parts - non-flowering plant | It produces underground tillers (suckers from the base of the stem). Rooting plantlets can readily form on old inflorescences that make contact with water or soil. |
| Habitat | It can be found in natural in marshes, lakes, ponds, slow-moving waterways, rice fields, fishponds and drains at elevations of 0–1300 m above sea level. It is naturalised in Singapore as well as Sri Lankan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia (Java & Sumatra). |
| Cultivation | It grows best in full sun and wet, fertile soil. The recommended planting distance is about 30 cm between plants. Regular maintenance is necessary as the plant spreads readily through vegetative propagation. It can be propagated by seeds, where it takes 2-3 months to be harvest ready, and rooted plantlets from old inflorescences. |
| Etymology | The genus Limnocharis is Greek for 'marsh beauty', in reference to the natural habitat of the plant. The specific epithet flava means 'bright, almost pure yellow', referring to the colour of the flowers. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Edible Plant Parts : Edible Leaves, Edible Flowers Food (Fruit or Vegetable): In West Java, Malaysia and Thailand, the young leaves with the petioles and young unopened inflorescences are eaten as a vegetable, usually heated over fire or cooked a short time before consumption. The young leaves are preferred to the older leaves, which has a bitter taste. Others: Whole plants are used as pig or fish fodder and also ploughed into rice fields as green manure. The plant is also often used as an ornamental plant in ponds. |
Landscaping Features
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Flowers |
|---|---|
| Landscape Uses | Aquarium / Aquascape, Marsh / Bog, Pond / Lake / River |
| Thematic Landscaping | Water Garden, Economic Garden |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Seed or Spore Dispersal | Abiotic (Water) |
|---|
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Semi-Shade, Full Sun |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Lots of Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Fast |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Waterlogged Soils (Drains Site), Fertile Loamy Soils |
| Maintenance Requirements | Moderate |
| Pruning | Regular thinning of the clumps is necessary as it readily spreads through vegetative propagation, where it can forms thick clumps. |
| Propagation Method | Seed |
| Propagation Method Remarks | New plants can be grown from old inflorescences that bend and make contact with water or soil. |
| Planting Distance | 30 m |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green, Green - Light Green |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Rosulate / Rosette, Basal |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Ovate, Elliptical, Orbicular / Round) |
| Foliar Venation | Parallel |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Stem Type & Modification | Herbaceous |
|---|
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Bisexual Flowers |
| Flower Colour(s) | Yellow / Golden |
|---|---|
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Axillary |
| Flower Symmetry | Radial |
| Inflorescence Type | Umbel |
| Ovary Position | Inferior / Epipgynous |
| Flowering Period | Free-Flowering |
| Flowering Opening Time | Daytime |
| Flower Lifespan on Plant | Flowers close after a few hours upon opening in the morning. |
| Flowering Habit | Polycarpic |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Green, Yellow / Golden |
|---|---|
| Fruit Classification | Multiple Fruit |
| Fruit Type | Dehiscent Dry Fruit , Capsule |
| Mature Seed Colour(s) | Brown |
| Seed Description | Horseshoe-shaped |
| Seed Quantity Per Fruit | Numerous (>20) |
Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 902 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 2196 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |