Stem flexuous with rigid leaves in whorls of 3 to 8. Leaves dark green 1-2 forked, divided into slender, toothed segments. Flowers solitary with 8 or more linear petals, female flowers green, male flowers whitish. Fruit a small nut 4-5 mm with basal spines, otherwise smooth.

Ceratophyllum demersum has leaves that divide no more than twice from their base. C. submersum (Soft Hornwort) has leaves divided 3-4 times.

Leaves forked 1-2 times

A good image clearly showing the leaf details as well as the plant as a whole.  We recommend that you take and retain a specimen; the County Recorder may wish to see this for confirmation.

Freshwater habitats, ponds, slow moving rivers and canals rooting in the muddy bottom.

Flowers July to September.

Perennial.

Fairly widespread in lowland areas of Britain.

Occasional and local in Leicestershire and Rutland, but may be abundant where it occurs. The Flora of Leicestershire published in 1988 states that it occurred in 25 of the 617 tetrads.

In the current checklist (Jeeves 2011) it is listed as native; now rarely recorded, but possibly overlooked