Parrot’s feather, Diamond Milfoil
Myriophyllum aquaticum

Family: Haloragaceae

What it is like

A plant which keeps growing from year to year. It grows partly under water. It forms masses of leafy tangled stems. It has stolons or runners and these form roots on the lower nodes. The leaves are in rings of 4-6 from the same level of the stems. The leaves are feathery in appearance. They are pale green. The leaves under the water rot leaving bare stems. Plants are separately male and female. Only female plants are recorded in Australia. Flowers form in the axils of leaves. They occur singly.

There are about 60 Myriophyllum species. There are 3 species in tropical America. It can be invasive.

Where it is found

It is a warm temperate to subtropical plant. It suits warm coastal situations. It grows in pools and swamps. It can grow in still or moving water. It grows in water 2 m deep. It roots in the mud. It grows best in water with high levels of nitrogen. It can grow in water with temperatures between 8°C and 30°C. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. Tasmania Herbarium.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andes, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile (country/location of origin), Dominican Republic, East Africa, Europe, Guianas, Guyana, Hawaii, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pacific, Paraguay, Peru (country/location of origin), SE Asia, South America (country/location of origin), Suriname, Tanzania, Tasmania, Uruguay, USA, West Indies, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaf tips are eaten as a vegetable. They are cooked.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaf tips, leaves, branches, vegetable

How it is grown

It spread by fragments of the stem.

Its other names

Local names

Bem-casados, Borla de plata, Boton de plata, Brazilian water milfoil, Cavallinho d'agua, Espuma de mar, Helechito de agua, Milfolhas-da-agua, Paris, Pinheirinho-d'agua, Pluma de oro, Thread of life, Water-feather, Yerba de sapo

Synonyms

Myriophyllum brasiliense Cambess.; Myriophyllum proserpinacoides W.J. Hooker & Arnott;