Damasonium minus

Star Fruit

Annual tufted emergent herb

FamilyAlismataceae
StoreyLower storey
Sizeto 0.5 m high
Plant groupingAquatic & Semi aquatic
LeavesNarrowly egg-shaped leaves 1.5-10 cm x 1-40 mm on long stalks either floating or emergent, standing erect. Leaf base is straight.
Flower colourGreen-white to pink
Flowering timeOctober to July
FlowersTerminal bunches of tiny flowers in 1 or more distant rings of 3-12 flowers, on flowering stems above the leaves. Fruit is star-shaped with 6-10 triangular sections. Long flowering.
Bird attractingNo
Butterfly attractingNo
Frog habitatYes
Growing conditionsAquatic or semi-aquatic in shallow water of swamps and lakes. Full sun, semi shade. Very limited distribution within the Shire.
Garden usePonds, where it can become perennial forming large colonies.
Commercially availableNever
Conservation statusSignificant within the Shire. Known only from the Yellingbo area. Scattered in Victoria, especially along the Murray River.
Related speciesSimilar to Alisma plantago-aquatica which is more common. Alisma has broader leaves which are tapered at the base. Fruit has rounded sections like a mandarin.