White water butercup is a perennial aquatic plant that can grow up to 2–3 feet long, forming dense mats of submerged foliage. It produces solitary white flowers with yellow centers, each borne on a slender pedicel that rises just above the water’s surface. These blooms appear in still or slow-moving freshwater habitats such as streams, shallow ponds, lakes, wet ditches, and marshes, typically from spring through late summer.

The flowers resemble buttercups, white with a yellow center, with submerged hairless leaves that have finely-divided thread-like segments, round to fan-shaped, ¾ inch long and 1 inch wide. The submerged vegetation provides shelter for fish while its fruits provide food for waterfowl.

It is found throughout North America and other parts of the world. In Pennsylvania, it is found in Oil Creek and Allegheny River growing among other aquatic vegetation. White water buttercup contains a toxic compound which causes skin irritation and blistering.