Plant ID and requirements

**beetroot** · 30th May 2009, 18:45

Hi there

Very curious what plant is this? Love the shape.
Is it a floating plant or must the roots be planted into soil? Could not see the bottom part of the plant.
Is it mostly used / planted in ponds?
Suppose it would grow huge?
Picture taken at botanical garden some time back.

thanks!

**Shadow** · 30th May 2009, 19:52

trapa natans?

**beetroot** · 30th May 2009, 19:58

water chestnut??

**beetroot** · 30th May 2009, 20:09

hello Shadow

thanks for the reply. searched many sites, intially only got "water chestnut" and no pictures, haha.
in the end, found this for trapa natans (with pictures):
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Trapa_natans

doesn't look like it though

.
another guess?

**Shadow** · 30th May 2009, 20:59

ludwigia sedioides, but I think trapa natans closer

**beetroot** · 31st May 2009, 01:25

hmm... yeah... after more searches, it does look closer to trapa natans.
i guess it is definitely from the genus trapa... although my pictures have more pointed edges but some web pictures have more rounded edges for trapa natans. perhaps due to different living environment, they grow differently...

here are some crop pictures from my camera (without & with flash):

pictures from the web:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...ans_flower.jpg
http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/pmis/m...ut_picture.htm

thanks for the ID

.