Parrot's feather

Parrot feather is a perennial plant named for its feather-like leaves which grow in whorls of four to six around the stem. Its emergent stems and leaves are its most distinctive features, as they can grow up to a foot above the water's surface, resembling small fir trees. The woody emergent stems can grow to over 5 feet / 1.5 m tall and will extend to the bank and shore. Pinkish-white flowers measuring approximately 1/16 inches long extend out from the plant. As the water warms in the spring, the species begins to flourish. While most individuals flower in the spring, some also flower in autumn. Almost all plants of this species are female. No male plants have ever found outside of South America. Seeds are not produced by any North American plants. Parrot feather reproduces asexually. New plants grow from fragments of established plants that have already taken root. The plant has whorls of feathery, blue-green to waxy, grey-green leaves that are deeply cut into many narrow lobes. Kasselmann recently described a new variety, M. aquaticum var. santacatarinense, which distinguishes itself from the typical variety by its more stiff and robust habitus and pinnae that are fewer and broader.

Parrot feather is native to the Amazon River in South America, but it can now be found on every continent except Antarctica. It is thought that this plant was introduced to North America around the late 1800s. It was first discovered in the United States in the 1890s in Washington, D.C. Parrot's feather typically grows in freshwater streams, ponds, lakes, rivers, and canals that have a high nutrient content. During the 20th century it colonised areas in South Africa, Japan, England, New Zealand, and Australia. As it prefers a warmer climate, it is chiefly found in the southern parts of the United States.