Water Buttons - cosmopolitan (Cotula coronopifolia

Family: Asteraceae (Daisy family).

Cosmopolitan. Native of South Africa and Australia. Recently its status as an Australian native has been questioned. However, it was recorded in widely spread locations soon after European settlement, and then (if introduced) ceased spreading.

Occurrence: A plant of shallow water and on wet banks, near water.

Identification:

• it is often slightly succulent (i.e. fleshy)
• the lower leaves are usually divided into leaflets; the upper leaves are untoothed
• the leaves are sheathing (ie. surround the stem) at the base
• it is hairless
• it has bright yellow button flowers.

Photo 1: Water Buttons. Tatura wetland.

2: Water buttons with fleshy, stem-clasping leaves. 3: Water Buttons, Lake Buloke.

4, 5: Water Buttons. Warrnambool (Lake Pertobe).

Other cotulas are more slender and smaller..