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Hydrocotyle leucocephala

Table of Contents

Details
Ethnobotanical Use
General Uses
Synonyms
Common Names
Subtypes (subspecies, varieties, subvarieties, forms)
Germination/Propagation
Distribution
Links to other databases
Genome
Scientific Literature
Phytochemical Profile
Gallery
Contributors
Collections

Details Top

Internal ID UUID6440212718fac838462807
Scientific name Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Authority Cham. & Schltdl.
First published in Linnaea 1: 364 (1826)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
* Ornamental aquarium plant: *Hydrocotyle leucocephala* is widely cultivated in the freshwater aquarium trade for its attractive, fast-growing foliage and ability to propagate readily through cuttings. Its tolerance of diverse water conditions and ease of care make it a popular choice for aquascaping.
* Scientific and research use: It serves as a model organism in laboratory ecotoxicology studies, particularly for assessing the impacts of pollutants (like heavy metals or organic compounds) on aquatic plants. Its high growth rate and robust nature facilitate standardized testing protocols. It is also used in studies on submerged macrophyte physiology, nutrient uptake, and carbon sequestration in aquatic ecosystems. Availability as a standard species in ecotoxicology databases (e.g., ECOTOX) supports its use as a benchmark organism.
* Research resource: *Hydrocotyle leucocephala* has been featured in studies examining the potential of floating aquatic plants for phytoremediation of wastewater, specifically investigating nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus) and heavy metal removal efficiency. While promising, its practical large-scale application remains under research.

Industrial and craft applications:
No documented industrial or craft uses beyond the aquarium and research sectors.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No edible or beverage applications are documented.

Colorants and tanning:
No documented colorant or tanning uses.

Wood and fiber:
Not applicable (herbaceous, aquatic).

Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented fragrance or cosmetic uses.

Properties relevant to use:
* Fast, reliable growth in submerged conditions; tolerance of varying water hardness and pH.
* High propagation rate via cuttings.
* Ability to absorb and accumulate nutrients and certain contaminants (nutrient uptake, bioaccumulation).
* Propensity to form dense floating mats under certain conditions.
* Its role as a standard test species in ecotoxicology relies on these properties.

Standards and regulation:
* Trade may be subject to regulations concerning invasive species or aquatic plant movement in specific regions. For example, its import and sale could be regulated by bodies like the USDA APHIS in the US or within the EU regarding invasive alien species.
* Not typically subject to specific product standards (e.g., ISO/ASTM) beyond general phytotoxicity or quality control for laboratory reagents if sold for scientific use.
* Ecotoxicology testing protocols often follow established guidelines (e.g., OECD Test Guidelines) utilizing standardized test conditions and endpoints.

Sustainability and sourcing:
* Primarily sourced from commercial aquaculture farms and artificial propagation.
* Potential concerns exist regarding its introduction to non-native ecosystems, where it may become invasive. Responsible cultivation, sale, and disposal (preventing release into natural waters) are critical to mitigate ecological risks associated with its escape from cultivation.
* Propagation through cuttings supports sustainable supply without requiring wild harvest.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Hydrocotyle dux Vell. Fl. Flumin. : 125 (1829)
Hydrocotyle emarginata Vell. Fl. Flumin. : 125 (1829)
Hydrocotyle hazenii Rose Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 48: 335 (1921 publ. 1922)
Hydrocotyle leucocephala var. minuta (Pohl ex DC.) Urb. Fl. Bras. 11(1): 278 (1879)
Hydrocotyle leucocephala var. obtusiloba Urb. Fl. Bras. 11(1): 279 (1879)
Hydrocotyle leucocephala var. truncatiloba Urb. Fl. Bras. 11(1): 279 (1879)
Hydrocotyle minuta Pohl ex DC. Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 4: 66. 1830 [late Sep 1830]
Hydrocotyle multicaulis Pohl ex DC. Prodr. 4: 64 (1830)
Hydrocotyle polyrhiza DC. Prodr. 4: 65 (1830)
Hydrocotyle maxonii Rose J. Washington Acad. Sci. 17: 197 (1927)
Hydrocotyle leucocephala f. peltata Urb. Fl. Bras. (Martius) 11(1): 279. 1879 [1 Dec 1879]
Hydrocotyle leucocephala var. intermedia Urb. Fl. Bras. (Martius) 11(1): 279, t. 76, fig. In. 1879 [1 Dec 1879]
Hydrocotyle leucocephala var. villosa Urb. Fl. Bras. (Martius) 11(1): 280. 1879 [1 Dec 1879]

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
Japanese アマゾンチドメグサ
Chinese 香菇草
Chinese 白头天胡荽
Chinese 白花天胡荽
Chinese 香香草

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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No subspecies added yet.

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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No variety added yet.

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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No subvariety added yet.

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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No forms added yet.

Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Northern America
    • Mexico
      • Mexico Gulf
      • Mexico Southeast
      • Mexico Southwest
  • Southern America
    • Brazil
      • Brazil Northeast
      • Brazil South
      • Brazil Southeast
      • Brazil West-central
    • Caribbean
      • Trinidad-Tobago
    • Central America
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panamá
    • Northern South America
      • Venezuela
    • Southern South America
      • Argentina Northeast
      • Paraguay
      • Uruguay
    • Western South America
      • Bolivia
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000726479
Tropicos 1701324
INPN 706397
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:843574-1
The Plant List kew-2856150
Open Tree Of Life 169595
NCBI Taxonomy 554381
IPNI 843574-1
iNaturalist 287387
GBIF 6026968
EPPO HYDLE
EOL 5038278
USDA GRIN 448346
CMAUP NPO24984

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Resistance to Frankliniella occidentalis during Different Plant Life Stages and under Different Environmental Conditions in the Ornamental Gladiolus Wahyuni DS, Klinkhamer PG, Choi YH, Leiss KA Plants (Basel) 29-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10935247
doi:10.3390/plants13050687
PMID:38475533
Community stability and seasonal biotic homogenisation emphasize the effect of the invasive tropical tanner grass on macrophytes from a highly dynamic neotropical tidal river Galvanese EF, Costa AP, Araújo ES, Falkievicz BC, de Melo GG, Vitule JR, Padial AA Aquat Sci 05-Apr-2022
PMCID:PMC8980772
doi:10.1007/s00027-022-00858-3
PMID:35400976
Checklist of vascular plants of the Department of Ñeembucú, Paraguay Egea JD, Peña-Chocarro M, Espada C, Knapp S PhytoKeys 30-Jan-2012
PMCID:PMC3281576
doi:10.3897/phytokeys.9.2279
PMID:22371688
Honey-Based Mixtures Used in Home Medicine by Nonindigenous Population of Misiones, Argentina Kujawska M, Zamudio F, Hilgert NI Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 22-Jan-2012
PMCID:PMC3270538
doi:10.1155/2012/579350
PMID:22315632
Biosynthesis and Function of Polyacetylenes and Allied Natural Products Minto RE, Blacklock BJ Prog Lipid Res 13-Mar-2008
PMCID:PMC2515280
doi:10.1016/j.plipres.2008.02.002
PMID:18387369
Immunosuppressive diacetylenes, ceramides and cerebrosides from Hydrocotyle leucocephala. Ramos F, Takaishi Y, Kawazoe K, Osorio C, Duque C, Acuña R, Fujimoto Y, Sato M, Okamoto M, Oshikawa T, Ahmed SU Phytochemistry 01-Jun-2006
doi:10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
PMID:16631830

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Furanoid lignans / Tetrahydrofuran lignans / 9,9-epoxylignans
(+)-Dehydroxycubebin 14183775 Click to see C1C(C(CO1)CC2=CC3=C(C=C2)OCO3)CC4=CC5=C(C=C4)OCO5 340.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
5-[[(3R,4R)-4-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-ylmethyl)oxolan-3-yl]methyl]-1,3-benzodioxole 11244709 Click to see 340.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohols / Long-chain fatty alcohols
(3S,8R,9R,10R)-heptadec-1-en-4,6-diyne-3,8,9,10-tetrol 163090813 Click to see 294.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
[(3S,8R,9R,10R)-3,8,10-trihydroxyheptadec-1-en-4,6-diyn-9-yl] acetate 162916937 Click to see 336.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
[(3S,8R,9R,10R)-3,9,10-trihydroxyheptadec-1-en-4,6-diyn-8-yl] acetate 162921740 Click to see CCCCCCCC(C(C(C#CC#CC(C=C)O)OC(=O)C)O)O 336.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
3,8,10-Trihydroxyheptadec-1-en-4,6-diyn-9-yl acetate 73071818 Click to see 336.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
3,9,10-Trihydroxyheptadec-1-en-4,6-diyn-8-yl acetate 73009355 Click to see 336.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
Heptadec-1-en-4,6-diyne-3,8,9,10-tetrol 73033158 Click to see CCCCCCCC(C(C(C#CC#CC(C=C)O)O)O)O 294.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids
3-Hydroxylup-20(29)-en-28-amide 10161414 Click to see 455.70 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives
17-(5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,5,6,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol 521229 Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2=CCC4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C 412.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
alpha-Spinasterin 5281331 Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2=CCC4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C 412.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Cyclic ketones / Cyclohexenones
(4R)-4-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one 162878501 Click to see CC(C)(C1(CCC(=O)C=C1)O)O 170.21 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
4-Hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one 11600745 Click to see 170.21 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzofurans
6-Hydroxy-4,4,7a-trimethyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1-benzofuran-2(4H)-one 14334 Click to see 196.24 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
Loliolide 100332 Click to see CC1(CC(CC2(C1=CC(=O)O2)C)O)C 196.24 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives
Coumarin 323 Click to see 146.14 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Coumarin glycosides
7-hydroxy-8-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-2-one 22524175 Click to see 340.28 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Furanocoumarins / Psoralens / 5-methoxypsoralens
Bergapten 2355 Click to see COC1=C2C=CC(=O)OC2=CC3=C1C=CO3 216.19 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Furanocoumarins / Psoralens / 8-methoxypsoralens
Methoxsalen 4114 Click to see COC1=C2C(=CC3=C1OC=C3)C=CC(=O)O2 216.19 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7,8-dihydroxycoumarins
Daphnetin 5280569 Click to see C1=CC(=C(C2=C1C=CC(=O)O2)O)O 178.14 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7-hydroxycoumarins
Umbelliferone 5281426 Click to see C1=CC(=CC2=C1C=CC(=O)O2)O 162.14 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides
2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-Dihydroxy-3-(3,4,5-Trihydroxy-6-(Hydroxymethyl)Oxan-2-Yl)Oxychromen-4-One 5378597 Click to see 464.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(2R,3R,4S,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one 5317847 Click to see 434.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
5,7-Dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)oxychromen-4-one 14749097 Click to see 418.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-[(2R,3R,4S,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one 162870904 Click to see 418.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
5,7-Dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one 5462193 Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O 448.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
acs.jmedchem.1c00409_ST.657 5878729 Click to see 434.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
Hyperoside 5281643 Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O 464.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004
Trifolin 5282149 Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O 448.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.03.004

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