Alisma plantago-aquatica
Ecology
A perennial herb growing on exposed mud at the shallow edge of still or slow-flowing waters, or in marshes and swamps. It is confined to mesotrophic or eutrophic habitats. Plants fruit prolifically, and the species is a frequent colonist of newly cleaned ditches and recently flooded mineral workings. Generally lowland, but reaching 405 m at Dock Tarn (Cumberland).
Status
Trends
A well-recorded species with a distribution which is similar to that in the 1962 Atlas.
World Distribution
Circumpolar Wide-temperate element; widely naturalised outside its native range.
Broad Habitats
Light (Ellenberg): 7
Moisture (Ellenberg): 10
Reaction (Ellenberg): 7
Nitrogen (Ellenberg): 7
Salt Tolerance (Ellenberg): 0
January Mean Temperature (Celsius): 3.8
July Mean Temperature (Celsius): 15.2
Annual Precipitation (mm): 950
Height (cm): 100
Length: 50
Perennation - primary
Life Form - primary
Woodiness
Clonality - primary
Count of 10km squares in Great Britain: 1761
Count of 10km squares in Ireland: 624
Count of 10km squares in the Channel Isles: 8
Atlas Change Index: -0.19
Weighted Changed Factor: -6
Weighted Change Factor Confidence (90%)
JNCC Designations
PLANTATT - Attributes of British and Irish plants. (.zip 1455KB) This dataset was compiled and published in 2004, and last updated in November 2008. Download includes an Excel spreadsheet of the attributes, and a PDF explaining the background and nomenclature. Note that the PDF version is the booklet as published, whereas the Excel spreadsheet incorporates subsequent corrections. A hardcopy can be purchased from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
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