The leaf blades are mostly arrowhead-shaped and are up to 25 cm long and nearly as wide. The basal lobes spread widely. The petioles are up to 60 cm long. Submerged leaves may be completely bladeless.

Flower:  The flower scapes are 20-50 cm long and topped by 2-8 whorls of flowers. The bracts of the inflorescence are blunt or rounded and 5-10 mm long. The flowers consist of 3 orbicular, white petals which measure 10-20 mm long. The stamens usually number more than 20. Plants either have one sex of flower per plant or flowers of both sexes on a plant.

Discussion:  Broadleaf arrowhead is sometimes known as wapato, or occasionally as floating arrowhead. It is an attractive aquatic plant, especially the arrowhead-shaped leaves. Plants are perennial and are up to 90 cm high, with several to many very long petiolate leaves arising from a fleshy rootstock or tuber.