Habitat:

Bogs, swamps, streams and marshes and floodplain forests

Location relative to water:

Rooted onshore

Range:

Entire US except for northwestern states

Leaves:

• Opposite or in whorls
• 8-20 cm long (3-8 inches)
• Green and glossy on top
• Pale and fuzzy on bottom
• Slightly wavy
• Grooved petioles

Fruit:

• Round head of cone-shaped, brown nutlets
• Tipped by four teeth of persistent sepals
• Grows June-August

Flowers:

• Round, many-flowered heads 2-4 cm wide (1-2 inches)
• Small, perfect, white
• Grow on long stalks at ends of stems or from upper leaf axils
• Four petals each, creamy white, 0.5-0.8 cm long (0.2-0.3 inches)