Gymnocoronis spilanthoides confined to wet marshy soils and still or very slowly flowing waters. It is one of the relatively few members of the very large family Asteraceae to be kept as an aquarium plant. Useful to deprive algae of suspended nutrients in the water.
The leaves are dark green and arranged in opposite pairs along the stem. The edges of the spearhead-shaped leaves are serrated. The numerous, white, ball-shaped flowers, 15 to 20mm in diameter, occur at the ends of stems. Thin, fibrous roots can develop from leaf veins or from any node in contact with moist soil or water.