Trapa natans

Water caltrop

Trapa natans, commonly known as the water caltrop or bladder nut, is an aquatic perennial valued for its medicinal properties. Traditionally used in various cultures, its nutrient-rich seeds and leaves offer potential therapeutic benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, making it a subject of interest in natural pharmacology.

  • Scientific name: Trapa natans
  • Family: Lythraceae
  • Native range: Europe

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Trapa natans, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Myrtales and the family Lythraceae. Ultimately, it is identified by its specific genus, Trapa.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Myrtales WCVP
Family Lythraceae WCVP
Genus Trapa WCVP

Common Names

This plant, Trapa natans, is known by various common names depending on the linguistic region. In nan, it is referred to as Lêng-kak, while in several Chinese dialects and written forms, including zh-hans, zh-hant, zh-hk, and zh-cn, it is commonly called 菱角.
Language Common Name Source
nan Lêng-kak Wikidata
zh-hans 菱角 Wikidata
zh-hant 菱角 Wikidata
zh-hk 菱角 Wikidata
zh-cn 菱角 Wikidata
zh-sg 菱角 Wikidata
zh-tw 菱角 Wikidata
pl kotewka orzech wodny Wikidata
fr Mâcre nageante Wikidata
be Вадзяны арэх плывучы Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad distribution across several regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, its presence can be observed in the country of Sweden. Moving into Middle Europe, it is found within the borders of Austria and Germany. The species also inhabits the territories of both Czechia and Slovakia. Finally, its geographical range extends further south into Hungary.

Region Area Source
Northern Europe Sweden WCVP
Middle Europe Austria WCVP
Middle Europe Czechia-Slovakia WCVP
Middle Europe Germany WCVP
Middle Europe Hungary WCVP
Middle Europe Poland WCVP
Middle Europe Switzerland WCVP
Southwestern Europe Baleares WCVP
Southwestern Europe France WCVP
Southwestern Europe Spain WCVP

Chemicals

Trapa natans has 7 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Diethyl phthalate, Z-11, acetamide, hexadecanoic acid, isopropyl palmitate.

Total chemicals
7
Scientific sources
7

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
Diethyl phthalate 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Z-11 1 ★☆☆☆☆
acetamide 1 ★☆☆☆☆
hexadecanoic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆
isopropyl palmitate 1 ★☆☆☆☆
octadecanoic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆
palmitinic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆