Mayaca!

When I first saw this little plant growing along the boarders of a pond, I thought I was seeing a semiaquatic Lycopod. Was I ever wrong. It turns out I was looking at an angiosperm commonly encountered by aquarium enthusiasts - Mayaca fluviatilis. The genus Mayaca has its own family (Mayacaceae) and its members can be found throughout Southeastern North America, Latin America, the West Indies, and central Africa. It was very exciting to meet one of these plants in person!