Brasenia schreberi — water-shield
![Leaves: Brasenia schreberi. ~ By Gordon Morrison. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Nymphaeaceae/brasenia-schreberi-le-gmorrison.jpg)
![Plant form: Brasenia schreberi. ~ By Marilee Lovit. ~ Copyright © 2024 Marilee Lovit. ~ lovitm[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Nymphaeaceae/brasenia-schreberi-ha-mlovit-a.jpg)
![Flowers and fruits: Brasenia schreberi. ~ By Frank Bramley. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Nymphaeaceae/brasenia-schreberi-ff-fbramley-b.jpg)
![Leaves: Brasenia schreberi. ~ By Marilee Lovit. ~ Copyright © 2024 Marilee Lovit. ~ lovitm[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Nymphaeaceae/brasenia-schreberi-le-mlovit-b.jpg)
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Facts
Water-shield is a widespread species that is distinctive due to the thick coating of gelatinous slime covering the young stems, buds, and the undersides of young leaves. It is cultivated in China and Japan where the mucilage-covered shoots are eaten.
Habitat
Lacustrine (in lakes or ponds), riverine (in rivers or streams)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- aquatic
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf position
- some of the leaves are floating at the surface of the water
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade length
- 35–135 mm
- Petal or sepal number
- there are three petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Petal color
- purple
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf is not divided, rather the blade is made up of one segment
- Floating leaf shape
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- Underwater leaf blade width
- 0 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Underwater leaf length
- 0 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Turion length
- 0 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther color
- the anthers show no hint of a pink, reddish or purplish tint
- Anther length
- 4 mm
- Carpels fused
- the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another
- Flower lower lip length
- 0 mm
- Flower number
- 1
- Flower position
- the flowers are above the surface of the water
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence type
-
- the flowers grow out of the axil (point where a branch or leaf is attached to the main stem)
- the inflorescence has only one flower on it
- Inflorescence width
- 20 mm
- Length of flower stalk
- 60–100 mm
- Length of peduncle
- 60–100 mm
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 4–8
- Ovary position
- the sepals and/or petals are attached below the ovary
- Palate on corolla
- no
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are green and/or leafy in texture
- Petal color
- purple
- Petal fringed edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Petal hairs on inner/upper surface
- there are no hairs on the inner/upper petal surface
- Petal length
- 10–20 mm
- Petal number
- 3
- Petal or sepal number
- there are three petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Pistil number
-
- 4
- 5
- 6 or more
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble petals in color and texture
- Sepal length
- 10–20 mm
- Sepal number
- 3
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spur length
- 0 mm
- Stamen length
- 5–10 mm
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not fused to one another
- Stamens fused to petals
- the stamens are not fused to the petals or tepals
- Style number
- 4–18
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit length
- 6–10 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, usually 1-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)
-
Glands or sap
- Oil glands on nodes
- none of the nodes have oil glands
- Sap
- the sap is milky and opaque, and may be white or colored
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Root septa
- the roots do not have transverse septa
- Roots floating in water
- there are no clusters of roots floating in the water
- Turions
- there are no turions on the plant
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Bract relative length
- At least 3854 mm
- Bracts
- neither the flowers nor their pedicels have bracts
- Floating leaf basal lobes
- no
- Floating leaf blade width
- 20–80 mm
- Floating leaf length
- 35–135 mm
- Floating leaf shape
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- Floating leaf tip
- the tip of the floating leaf blade is rounded, with no point
- Floral bract form
- NA
- Floral bract length
- 0 mm
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade length
- 35–135 mm
- Leaf blade veins
- the lateral veins radiate from the base and continue to spread away from the centerline of the leaf, or branch off the central vein at intervals
- Leaf blade width
- 35–60 mm
- Leaf position
- some of the leaves are floating at the surface of the water
- Leaf special features
- none of the mentioned special features are present
- Leaf-like branch segments
- 0
- Leaf-like branch shape
- NA
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf is not divided, rather the blade is made up of one segment
- Staminate bract edge (Myriophyllum)
- NA
- Stipule appearance
- NA
- Stipule fused to leaf
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
- Stipules fused around stem
- NA
- Trap-bladder length
- 0 mm
- Underwater leaf air passage number
- At least 4335
- Underwater leaf air passage relative width
- At least 4336
- Underwater leaf air passage row number
- 0
- Underwater leaf blade edges
- NA
- Underwater leaf blade shape
- NA
- Underwater leaf blade veins
- 0
- Underwater leaf blade width
- 0 mm
- Underwater leaf length
- 0 mm
- Underwater leaf stalk
- NA
- Underwater leaf stalk length
- 0 mm
- Underwater leaf tip shape
- NA
-
Place
- Habitat
- aquatic
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- in lakes or ponds
- in rivers or streams
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem growth form
- the flowering stem is upright
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Brasenia schreberi J.F. Gmel. N
water-shield. Brasenia peltata Pursh • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Still or slow-moving water of lakes and streams, usually oligotrophic to mesotrophic.