What is the difference between pennywort and bowl lotus? A quick guide to telling them apart

Pennywort grows along riverbanks and ditches and in damp, shady grassland beside paths. The whole plant can be used as medicine, with effects such as pain relief, clearing heat, and draining dampness, and it treats abdominal pain, difficult urination, eczema, and other conditions. Today I will explain the difference between pennywort and bowl lotus.

1. Different plant form

Pennywort is a creeping herb; it is a plant in the family Apiaceae, genus Hydrocotyle. The upright portion of the plant is about 8-37 cm tall, and the plant bears soft hairs that are sparse to dense, so it appears white or purple.

Bowl lotus is an annual aquatic plant with a multi-noded rhizome. The underground stem is long and thick, with long nodes; the leaves are shield-shaped and round; the petioles are thick and covered with short prickles. The flowering period is from June to September, and the number of days a single flower stays open varies by cultivar, from as few as 3-4 days to more than 10 days.

2. Different leaves

The leaves of pennywort are round or kidney-shaped; the upper surface is dark green and the underside is pale green; the leaves have 5-7 shallow lobes, the margins are irregularly toothed, and the underside of the leaves bears many hairs.

The leaves of bowl lotus are round, with the point where the stem attaches in the center, marked by a small white dot; they are either floating leaves or standing leaves.

3. Different flowers

The flowers of pennywort generally grow singly at the nodes, and may also be axillary or opposite; each has 25-50 small umbels. The flowers are green in the bud stage and turn white after opening.

The petals of bowl lotus are nearly round, and the leaves are clustered and small and lively. In addition, the colors of bowl lotus are relatively limited, generally only red and yellow, and the size is about 5 cm. Most importantly, after bowl lotus blooms it leaves behind cute little lotus seeds.

Bowl lotus not only has large, brightly colored flowers with a fragrance that carries far and elegant green leaves riding the ripples, but also has very strong adaptability: it can be planted widely in lakes to purify water quality, and can also be grown in pots or displayed in vases, offering a distinctive charm.