Hydrophyllum appendiculatum

Native

Moist to wet. Woods.

May to July

Lavender to pinkish-purple

1′ to 4′

This is a 1′ to 4′ tall, erect, biennial forb that rises on a single stem from a taproot.

The stems are erect and densely hairy above the middle with both short and long, stiff, spreading hairs. They tend to zigzag between the leaves.

Basal leaves are on stalks up to 6¾″ long and deeply pinnately divided into 5 or 7 lobes cut almost to the midrib.

Stem leaves are alternate and on shorter stalks, the stalks becoming gradually shorter as they ascend the stem. The blades are broadly circular in outline, 2⅓″ to 6″ in diameter. They are shallowly palmately divided into usually 5 or sometimes 7 lobes, giving them a maple-like appearance. The angle between the lobes is greater than 90°. The base of the leaf is either straight across or has a broad, V-shaped indentation where it connects to the stalk.

All leaves are dark green on the upper surface and often have pale green or whitish markings that resemble water spots. The under surface is silvery green. The lobes come to a sharp point at the tip. The margins have shallow teeth.

The inflorescence is loose, rounded clusters rising on densely hairy stalks from the upper leaf axils and at the end of the stems.

The individual flowers are bell-shaped, ⅓″ to ½″ long on densely hairy stalks. The flower stalks have short, appressed, ascending hairs. They have 5 lavender to pinkish-purple, rarely white, petals, fused over half their length into a broad tube, then separating into 5 erect, flat-tipped lobes. There are 5 stamens with hairy filaments. The stamens and style extend only slightly beyond the petals.

The fruit is a 1-chambered capsule with 1 to 3 seeds.

Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum) is a somewhat smaller plant with more deeply divided leaves and short hairs on the stems. It reaches no more than 30″ at maturity. The basal and stem leaves are deeply pinnately divided into usually 5 lobes. The petals are lavender to white. The upper stems, the inflorescence stalk, and the individual flower stalks have short, appressed hairs, no long hairs. The stamens and style extend well beyond the petals. It is found throughout Minnesota.