Common Mare's-tail
Hippuris vulgaris
Common Mare's-tail is a deciduous, perennial aquatic and marsh plant characterized by its unbranched, erect stems with whorled leaves. In shallow water, the stems emerge like small fir trees above the surface, while in deeper water, they develop soft, submerged leaves. The species is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere and prefers calcareous, clean water bodies.
Details
Oxygen production
Significant, especially through the submerged leaf structures during the growth phase.
Habitat function
Important retreat for juvenile fish and microorganisms; stabilizes the transition zone between water and land.
Nutrient uptake
Effective uptake of dissolved nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) from the water and the sediment.
Food source for
Seeds and leaves serve as food for waterfowl; rhizomes are eaten by muskrats.
Human use
Popular ornamental plant for garden ponds and treatment ponds; formerly used in folk medicine as a hemostatic agent.
Ecology
Ecological role
Provides habitat for aquatic invertebrates and spawning substrate for amphibians and fish; contributes to the oxygen saturation of the water.
Natural predators
Waterfowl, herbivorous fish (e.g., Rudd), and various insect larvae.
Competitor species
Competes with other macrophytes such as Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum) or Waterweed (Elodea) for light and nutrients.
Ecosystem service
Nutrient sequestration; water purification; stabilization of the water body floor; habitat provision.
Threats
Water pollution, eutrophication, structural changes to shore zones, and lowering of the groundwater table.
Scientific profile
Profile
Reproduction
Generative via seeds (wind pollination) and very effectively vegetative through creeping rhizomes, which can form dense stands.