Nymphoides aquatica
Common Name(s): Banana lily
Native to Florida
The banana lily has floating leaves, but its rhizome is in the mud. The banana lily is frequently found in quiet ponds, lakes, and swamps nearly throughout Florida. It blooms from spring to summer (Wunderlin, 2003).
Banana lily gets its name from its cluster of thick banana-shaped roots, located close to the leaves near the surface of the water. Banana lily has rounded leaves that have a notch at the base: they resemble small water lily leaves. Banana lily leaves are green above and dull purple below. It has small white five-petalled flowers that arise from below the leaf.
Download a color flyer by the USGS that compares the four Nymphoides species in Florida