Description: This native perennial plant is 1½–3' tall, branching occasionally. It is erect or semi-erect, often leaning on neighboring plants for support. The round stems are slender and become glabrous with age; young stems are often pubescent or have tufts of soft white hairs. The alternate leaves are up to 6" long and 3½" across; they are cordate, smooth or slightly wavy along the margins, and glabrous. Their upper surface is somewhat waxy; palmate veins are clearly visible on this surface. At the base of each leaf, there is a long petiole that joins the stem; it is shorter than the blade of the leaf.
From the upper axils of the upper leaves,
individual spikes of white flowers are produced on long stalks. Each spike is
about 4-6" long and cylindrical in shape from the dense whorls of flowers; it
often nods at the apex. The central axis of the spike is white while the
flowers are blooming. Each flower is up to ¼" long, consisting of 6-8
white stamens and 3-4 white carpels at its center. There are neither petals nor
sepals. The flowers begin to bloom at the bottom of the spike, rather than the
apex. The blooming period occurs during the summer and lasts about 1 month or
slightly longer. There is a pleasant floral fragrance. As the fleshy carpels
begin to dry, their surfaces become wrinkled in appearance; they are joined
together at the base. Each carpel contains a single seed. The root system
produces abundant rhizomes, enabling vegetation reproduction. This plant often
forms colonies at favorable sites.
Cultivation: The preference is light shade to
partial sun and wet mucky soil to shallow water. The foliage is rarely bothered
by disease or insect pests. Too much sunlight will cause the leaves to turn
yellowish green.
Range &
Habitat: Lizard's Tail is occasional to locally common in southern
and central Illinois; it is largely absent from the NW portion of the state
(see
Distribution
Map). Habitats include soggy openings or pools of water in floodplain
woodlands, swamps, seeps and springs, and ditches in semi-shaded areas. This
species is usually found in higher quality wetland habitats, although it can
spread aggressively at some sites.
Faunal
Associations: Very limited information is available. The
caterpillars of Parapamea buffaloensis (Buffalo Moth) feed on this
plant. The foliage is toxic and avoided by mammalian
herbivores.
Photographic Location: A
large colony of plants occurs at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois. They were
growing in wet mucky soil and shallow water.
Comments: This wetland species is typically found in
vernal pools and soggy areas of woodlands. It is occasionally cultivated in
wetland gardens because of its attractive foliage and fragrant flowers. The
foliage resembles the leaves of some Philodendron spp., which are
cultivated indoors at houseplants. This distinctive plant is quite easy to
identify; no other member of the Lizard's Tail family occurs in the eastern
half of the United States. The common and scientific names refer to the nodding
spikes of flowers, as 'Saurus' means lizard and 'cernuus' means nodding.
Another common name for this species is 'Water Dragon.'