water shamrock
Noun: 1. A perennial aquatic plant: "water shamrock" refers to a perennial herb that grows in or at the margins of water. It is characterized by its trifoliate (three-part) leaves, which resemble those of a shamrock, and its ability to root at the water's edge and spread across the surface.
The term "water shamrock" is used specifically to identify this particular species of aquatic plant. It is a common name, not a scientific one. * The pond was partially covered with water shamrock. * We identified the plant with the three-part leaves as water shamrock.
- As a botanical common name: "Water shamrock" is used in field guides and by naturalists to distinguish from other similar-looking aquatic or marginal plants.
- Look for the water shamrock in the marshy areas of the lake.
- Bogbean (n): Another common name for the same plant ().
- Buckbean (n): Another common name for the same plant ().
- Menyanthes trifoliata (n): The scientific (Latin) name for the water shamrock.
- Marsh trefoil: A synonym referencing its three-leaf structure and wetland habitat.
The "water shamrock" is noted for its intensely bitter leaves. While it shares a leaf shape with the terrestrial shamrock, it is a distinct species adapted to aquatic environments. Its growth habit of spreading across the water's surface is a key identifying feature.
- perennial plant of Europe and America having racemes of white or purplish flowers and intensely bitter trifoliate leaves; often rooting at water margin and spreading across the surface