WATER SOLDIER
Stratiotes Alloides
Frogbit Family [Hydrocharitaceae] 
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Frogbit Family [Hydrocharitaceae]
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flower
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morph
petals
stem
| 27th June 2009, Mcr Bolton & Bury canal, Elton. | Photo: © RWD |
| An army of Water Soldiers. Given half a chance (and no boats) it spreads uncontrollably. |
| 30th Aug 2009, Mcr Bolton & Bury canal, Elton. | Photo: © RWD |
| More or less the same section of canal, but two months later and the Water Soldiers are retreating (sinking) in the face of an advancing floating carpet of reddish-brown Water Fern. The Water Fern is also interspersed with Parrot's Feather: three weeds each vying for dominance have solved the problem by time-sharing. [The narrow clear channel is made by water birds rather than boats]. |
| 3rd Aug 2007, Hollingworth Canal, Daisy nook, Gtr Manchester. | Photo: © RWD |
| In Summer it rises from the shallow depths to the surface to flower. |
| 27th June 2009, Mcr Bolton & Bury canal, Elton. | Photo: © RWD |
| A reluctant flower. If any one plant flowers at all, then it usually has but one flower. |
| 27th June 2009, Mcr Bolton & Bury canal, Elton. | Photo: © RWD |
| A single white three-petalled flower amidst a sward of swords. |
| 27th June 2009, Mcr Bolton & Bury canal, Elton. | Photo: © RWD |
| Each plant has sword-like leaves that splay out like an upturned half-opened umbrella without the cloth. |
| 27th June 2009, Mcr Bolton & Bury canal, Elton. | Photo: © RWD |
| The three white leaves and central yellow area. |
| 27th June 2009, Mcr Bolton & Bury canal, Elton. | Photo: © RWD |
| It seems to effuse a smell attractive to small flies. |
| 27th June 2009, Mcr Bolton & Bury canal, Elton. | Photo: © RWD |
| Some flowers do not conform to the three-separate-lobes form. |
| 3rd Aug 2007, Hollingworth Canal, Daisy nook, Gtr Manchester. | Photo: © RWD |
| Many plants do not flower. |
| 27th June 2009, Mcr Bolton & Bury canal, Elton. | Photo: © RWD |
The sword-like leaves have sharp serrations similar to the teeth on a hacksaw blade. With their saw-teeth and splayed appearance the leaves resemble those of the plant Aloe, hence the latin name Stratiotes aloides. |
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Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : the half-submerged up-turned-palm look of the sword-shaped serrated leaves. No relation to : Gallant Soldier [a plant with similar name] The sword-shaped leaves are very brittle and easily snapped in two, which is the main method of reproduction: vegetative reproduction, although sexual reproduction does occur too. [In the authors opinion, however, a fleet of narrowboats proceeding down a cut infested with Water Soldier, will, in a season, soon destroy the colony rather than spread it further. How many navigable canals are infested with Water Soldier?]. In the UK, almost all plants are female, although there some hermaphroditic plants in Southern Britain. Very few, if any, are male. ANY TEXT GOES HERE |
 Stratiotes |
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Frogbit Family [Hydrocharitaceae]
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