Buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliate), commonly known as marsh trefoil or bogbean, is an emergent rhizomatousWhat is rhizomatous?Bearing rhizomes. Rhizome is an underground stem, with nodes and short to elongate internodes. perennial that generally grows in shallow water at the edge of lakes/ponds in swamps.
The origin of this plant can’t be determined precisely. However, it possibly evolved in northern Europe, and from there, it spread to the Arctic Florens to central Europe.
The Buckbean belongs to the Menyanthaceae family. However, the genus Menyanthes includes only this species[1]. The flower stems and leaves protrude from thick, creeping rhizomes, which extend indefinitely, well above the water’s surface.
The trifoliate leaves have 3 elliptical leaflets (up to 4″ long) on petioles 4 to 10″ long. The 5-petaled star-shaped hairy whitish flowers bloom in terminal clusters on stems up to 12 inches tall in May and June.
