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Stratiotes aloides

Common name:	Water Soldier	Family:	Hydrocharitaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	17
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Europe, including Britain, to northwestern Asia.
Habitat:	Broads, ponds and ditches in calcareous districts[17]. It is very local and probably diminishing[17].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Crab's-claw [L], Krabbenscheer [D], Water Soldier [H], Water Soldiers [P], Water-soldier [L],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	stratiotes = Greek name for Water Lettuce;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Hydrocharitales. Tape-grass family
Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds	From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia , DEFRA Injurious Weeds
	Listed as noxious/invasive for: Florida.

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from June to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Pond, Bog Garden.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

The herb has had a high reputation for treating wounds, especially when these are made by an iron implement. It is applied externally[4]. The plant is also said to be of use in the treatment of St. Anthony's Fire and also of bruised kidneys[4].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

A water plant, it requires a neutral to alkaline water[200]. The herb is submerged at most times of the year, rising to the surface only when it is flowering[17]. The leaves accumulate calcium carbonate and by the autumn this makes them heavy enough to sink to the bottom of the pond. The new leaves in spring do not have this calcium carbonate and so rise to the surface[200].
A vigorous-growing plant, it will tend to swamp out other plants when grown in a small pond[200].
Plants are dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required[17]. Only the female plant occurs naturally in Britain, though plants with hermaphrodite flowers are also found occasionally[17]. Seed is never set in Britain, the plants increasing mainly by offsets[17].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in situ as soon as it is ripe. The seed is seldom if ever produced in Britain[17].
Division at almost any time of the year, though spring is best.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Hydrocharitaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Stratiotes+aloides
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Stratiotes+aloides

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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.