American featherfoil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American featherfoil |
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| Flowering H. inflata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hottonia
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| Species: |
inflata
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Hottonia inflata, also known as the American featherfoil or featherfoil, is a cool aquatic plant that lives in water. It belongs to the Primulaceae family, which includes many beautiful flowering plants.
Contents
Where Does Featherfoil Grow?
Featherfoil can be found in different places across the eastern United States. It grows from Texas all the way up to Maine. You'll usually spot it in the coastal plains, which are flat areas along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. It pops up here and there, not everywhere, but in specific spots.
What Does Featherfoil Look Like?
This unique water plant has two kinds of roots. Some roots are thin and feathery, floating freely in the water. Other roots are thicker and buried in the mud at the bottom.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of the featherfoil can look a bit different from plant to plant. They can be underwater or float on the surface. These leaves might be long and thin, or very fine like threads. They can grow in different patterns, like opposite each other or in a circle. They often look like tiny feathers, with many small divisions.
The flowers of the American featherfoil are small and pretty. They can be white or a light violet color. You'll find these flowers at the very top of thick, puffy flower stalks. These stalks look like they are inflated, which is where the plant gets part of its scientific name, inflata.
Where Does Featherfoil Live?
Featherfoil loves to live in wet places with calm water. You can find it in swamps, ditches, and shallow ponds. It even grows in beaver ponds, which are ponds created by beavers. It prefers places where the water level stays pretty steady.
