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. In spring, shoot buds elongate into stolons that produce new plants. Tubers seldom survive drying conditions. Sepals 4, lanceolate to elliptic . Numerous petals gradate into numerous smaller , petal-like stamens.