The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

beaked ditch-grass, widgeon-grass

Stems

widely branched, 50 cm × 0.1–0.7 mm long; terete; lower stems rhizomatous; upper stems erect and leafy.

Leaves

submersed, 3–10.5 cm × 1 mm;

apex more or less obtuse;

stipules adnate to the petiole, 5–15 mm long; the free ends 1–5 mm long.

Inflorescences

terminal; head-like spikes;

flowers less than 20;

peduncles with 0–4 coils, 0.5–16.5 × 0.5 mm at flowering time, elongating and 5–30 mm long in fruit, becoming stalk-like after flowering and lifting the flowers to the surface; later often becoming coiled and submerging;

bract 1.

Flowers

perianth 0;

stamens 2;

anthers more or less sessile;

pistils 2–8; simple;

stigmas sessile.

Fruits

inconspicuously to short-beaked, slightly recurved; turgid, obliquely ovoid to oblong, 1.8–3 × 0.7–1.5 mm; stalk-like at base.

2n

=20.

Ruppia maritima

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Shallow waters of saline or brackish streams, ditches, pools, and lakes, along the ocean shore or in alkaline pools in the interior. 0–1300 m. BR, Est. CA, NV,WA; nearly worldwide. Native.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 502
Lareina Shipler
Sibling taxa
R. maritima
Synonyms Ruppia cirrhosa, Ruppia maritima var. maritima, Ruppia maritima var. obliqua, Ruppia maritima var. rostrata
Web links