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Flora Emslandia - Plants in Emsland (northwestern Germany)

Alisma, water plantains

Alisma L. (water plantains): The meaning of Alisma is unresolved. At Pliny and Dioscorides Alisma appears in the 1st century AD., and describes quite clearly the european water plantain. The English name refers to its occurrence very close to the water and to the type of leafs which are similar to that of plantains (Plantago).

While Caspar Bauhin still listed the plants below Plantago, Linnaeus in 1753 published the description of seven species of Alisma in his Species Plantarum.

The approximately 10 species of the genus Alisma are found worldwide. The perennial plants grow above or below the water surface. The lactiferous herbs are upright and possess a rhizome. The submerged, emersed or floating leaves are concentrated basal. Either they are stalkless or tapering into a leaf-stalk or they have a well-developed, triangular petiole. The stems are sheathed by the petiole. The leaf blade is lanceolate to ovate, simple and entire.

The flowers are arranged in pyramid-shaped, sometimes submerged, often multi-branched inflorescences. They consist of successive false whorls, sometimes surrounded by bracts. The branches in turn contribute multiple false whorls of 3–12 stalked flowers and may be branched further. The flower-stalks are often surrounded by a lance-shaped, pointed bract, which is shorter than the peduncle.


The white or pink flowers consist of 3 sepals and 3 petals, which are arranged offset in relation to each other. The petals are simple or emarginate. Mostly 6 stamens and 10–20 free, superior carpels are placed respectively in a single row.

After insect pollination a triangular wreath is formed consist of single-seeded nut fruits (achenes), which are buoyant for several days. The seeds are light brown, strongly flattened and rounded at the top. On the back side they are ribbed one- to three-fold and on the ventral side they have a short beak.

Floral formula:

* K3 C3 A6 bzw. A9 G∞ superior

Historical publications

Dioscorides (1st century B.C) reported on the Alisma, it has plantain-like leaves, a thin stem, delicate white flowers and would prefer damp places. It would be a drug for those who have eaten the sea hare (Aplysia depilans), who had been drinking opium or were bitten by the toad. The same also wrote Pliny (approx. 23–79 AD).

Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566) wrote, the water plantain would also be called "Froschlöffel" (frog spoon), because the leaves are shaped like spoons, and it would growing where frogs live. Because it would be equal to the plantain and grew in damp places, it would be called Plantaginem aquaticam. Whether the Greeks and Latins knew the plant, he could not say. The healing effects would be the same as that of plantain.

Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501–1577) wrote about water plantain it has, like the plantain, thick, juicy and green leaves. The stems have many side branches with small, white, dainty flowers. It has whitish roots and grew in swamps and ditches. Also Matthioli treated the plant as plantain and assigns it the same healing effects

Meaning of the species name

• plantago-aquatica: Refers to the old name Plantago aquatica (water plantain)

Interesting notes

• The european water plantain in China is called "Ze Xie". The tuberous rhizome is traded under the same name and is supposed to help against diarrhea, diabetes, edema and urinary retention.

• The starchy rhizome of the european water plantain is toxic in the raw state, cooked it should be edible.