Thursday, May 24, 2012

Large Pennywort

Hydrocotyle pedicellosa
Family: ARALIACEAE

 This common rainforest plant is one of our best groundcovers for damp, shady ground. Native only to Queensland and northern New South Wales, it is one of our most instantly recognisable rainforest plants
With a leaf diameter up to 10cm, it is the largest of our pennyworts.







Like most of the plants in this family, its flowers are not its best feature! At only 1mm, they are likely to be overlooked completely, though you do notice the flower-heads at the end of summer.









However, it is for the carpet of lush green leaves that we would grow this plant. It does best where the ground never dries out - but once established will survive for short periods in dry soil.






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