Ontario Wildflowers website

False Mermaid
Floerkea proserpinacoides

False Mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides) Other common names: False Mermaidweed, Proserpinca-like Mermaid

Family: False Mermaid Family (Limnanthaceae)

Distinctive features: Small plant, weak-stemmed, tiny flowers.

Flowers: Spring;  White;  3 parts (petals);  Very tiny, white. 3 petals.

Leaves: 3-5 leaflets.

Height: 10-30 cm (4-12 in)

Stem: Weak, lying along ground.

Habitat: Forests;  Wet woods and stream valleys.

Uses: Stems are edible and may be added to salads.

Books: Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: 122   

Native/Non-native: Native

Notes: Tiny plant, hard to find and hard to ID. Thanks to Dean Gugler for this ID.

Photographs: 99 photographs available, of which 6 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

False Mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides) flowers

False Mermaid flowers are very small!

False Mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides) leaf

A leaf. All of the photos are highly magnified. This is indeed a tiny plant!

The plants in these photos were found in the Dundas Valley, Ontario. All were taken with flash.

False Mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides) flower

A flower, just peeking out from its sepals. This is in mid-May.

False Mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides) flower

Another flower. Very hard to photograph!

False Mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides) plants

A group of the plants, lying across fallen leaves from last fall.

False Mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides) plants

A closer view.