 Native to southern India and Sri Lanka, where it usually occurs in seasonal ponds, becoming dormant in the dry season, "Aponogeton crispus" is found naturally in both still and running waters.It is a seasonally submerged aquatic plant with a round rhizome 2–3 cm and up to 5 cm in diameter.The leaves are light green to olive green-brown, 8 – 14 inches (20–35 cm) long and 2.5 inches (6 cm) broad, with a wavy margin and a petiole up to 18 inches (45 cm) long; wild plants tend to have longer and narrower leaves than the cultivated varieties.