The Seaside brookweed is a small, herbaceous plant from Europe, Asia and North America, belonging to the Primrose family (Primulaceae). It occurs in moist to temporarily flooded, often salty places, mostly near the sea shore. Under water it forms a small, to about 15 cm high, light green leaf rosette with obovate to spathulate leaves. As terrestrial plant and in shallow water an upright stem arises from the rosette, developing small white flowers and seed capsules. Samolus valerandi is long known in the aquarium hobby, also as Samolus floribundus and S. parviflorus.