Hydrocotyle pterocarpa F.Muell. APNI* Description: Perennial procumbent herb, glabrous to glabrescent; stems creeping, rooting at lower nodes.
Leaves reniform to orbicular cordate, 1–5 cm across, almost entire or with 3–11 very shallow broad lobes, margin crenate; petiole 1–10 (-17) cm long; stipules membranous broad-ovate, entire.
Umbels simple, leaf opposed, globose, 2–3 mm diameter, flowers c. 5–20, almost sessile; peduncle 4–30 mm long; pedicels to c. 0.5 mm long. Petals c. 0.75 mm long, off-white with purple blotches.
Fruits very flattened, smooth, usually red spotted, c. 3 mm long, 4–5 mm wide, emarginate at base and apex; mericarp dorsal rib produced into a thickish wing c. 0.5 mm high, lateral ribs prominent, intermediate ribs inconspicuous.
Flowering: Flowers spring–early autumn.
Distribution and occurrence: Occurs in moist open forest or warm temerate rainforest where it is usually found growing among rushes and sedges or on mossy rocks along watercourses.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, *SC, CT, *ST
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. ?S.A.
Formerly in Apiaceae.
Text by M.F. Duretto Taxon concept: Flora of Victoria Volume 4, 1999
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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