Similar in appearance to Eurasian watermilfoil. However, Ceratophyllum is a free-floating plant rather not a rooted plant, and has whorls of five or more forked leaves and no emergent flowering stalk. This plant can be weedy in lakes, ponds, and wetlands. C. echinatum can be distinguished from C. demersum by its relatively unserrated leaves that fork three or four times, whereas C. demersum has serrated leaves that only fork one or two times.