Marc Chouillou CC BY-SA 2.0 FR, via Wikimedia Commons
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An aquatic plant that lives in ponds and lakes in western and central Europe and that in Catalonia is located in a single Pyrenean pond used as a drinking trough for livestock. It is in danger of extinction in all the Iberian Peninsula.
Its habitats are usually very sensitive and have sparse and fluctuating populations. Its distribution is very fragmented without the possibility of exchange between populations.
It seems that a low pH or a high concentration of total phosphorus (TP) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in water are the factors responsible for its gradual extinction.
The deeper the water, the more flowers it produces. The plant will also thrive in deeper waters, although this changes the nature of the leaves and flowers produced. In shallow water, it develops oval floating leaves, while in deep water it may have long, narrow strap-shaped leaves.
