Noxious aquatic perennial with creeping stolons , floating leaves, and showy yellow flowers . Plants can rapidly colonize shallow waters. Heavy infestations in slow moving channels, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds can restrict water movement, contribute to siltation, increase evapotranspiration rates, and hinder recreation activities. Introduced from Southeastern U.S. and Mexico as an aquatic ornamental.
Cotyledons remain within seed coat.
First leaf linear. Leaves floating to emergent when crowded, nearly round, flat to cupped, narrowly cleft at the base with edges often overlapping, 10-25 cm wide. Upper surfaces glabrous, glossy bright green, often brown blotched. Leaves usually die during winter. Dormant in the cool season.