pillwort Pilularia globulifera

Pillwort is confined to western Europe, and is most abundant in the UK. It is declining, because grazing of heathland and common land is becoming rarer. One of it's strongholds is the New Forest. It is common here, especially at the margins of ponds and streams where livestock go to drink. The pill-like spore cases lie dormant and wait for the right growing conditions. Clearance of clay on the Isle of Wight resurrected plants after one hundred years.