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callitriche des marais, spring water-starwort, vernal water-starwort

different-leaf water-starwort, diverse-leaf water-starwort, greater water-starwort, large water-starwort, prairie sandgrass, two-head water-starwort, variedleaf waterstarwort, water starwort

Stem

and leaf scales present.

and leaf scales present.

Leaves

connate at base, ± linear, tapering strongly from near base or spatulate, 2.5–9 × 0.3–5 mm, 1+-veined.

connate at base, ± linear, tapering from near base or spatulate, 3.7–24.7 × 0.3–3.5 mm, 1+-veined.

Inflorescences

bracts caducous, sometimes persistent.

bracts caducous.

Pedicels

0–0.2 mm in fruit.

0 mm in fruit.

Flowers

usually 1 staminate and 1 pistillate in 1 axil opposed by 1 pistillate;

styles erect or spreading;

pollen yellow.

usually solitary;

styles erect or spreading;

pollen yellow.

Schizocarps

obovoid, usually widest distal to middle, 0.8–1.4 × 0.6–1.4 mm, longer than wide, sometimes as long as wide;

mericarps black, not swollen, not winged, winged only at apex, or winged throughout but widest at apex, wings straight, 0.03–0.1 mm wide.

± round, (0.4–)0.5–0.9(–1.2) × 0.5–1(–1.2) mm, as long as wide;

mericarps black, not swollen, not winged or winged only at apex, wings straight, 0.05–0.1 mm wide.

2n

= 20.

Callitriche palustris

Callitriche heterophylla

Phenology Flowering May–Oct. Flowering Feb–Nov.
Habitat Fast-flowing rivers and streams, backwaters, ditches, swamps, Sphagnum bogs, lakes, ponds, springs, seepages. Fast-flowing streams, backwaters, ditches, swamps, Sphagnum bogs, lakes, ponds, springs, seepages, seasonally damp soils in shade.
Elevation 0–3600 m. (0–11800 ft.) 0–3000 m. (0–9800 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DE; IA; ID; IL; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OR; PA; RI; SD; TX; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Greenland; Mexico (Chihuahua, San Luis Potosí); Eurasia [Introduced in Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MO; MS; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; YT; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies (Antilles); Greenland [Introduced in Pacific Islands (New Zealand)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Callitriche palustris has been included on the Composite List of Weeds maintained by the Weed Science Society of America (http://wssa.net/wssa/weed/composite-list-of-weeds/); its inclusion seems unwarranted.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Two varieties have been recognized in Callitriche heterophylla, with var. bolanderi distinguished on the basis of its schizocarps being larger (for example, N. C. Fassett 1951b); however, the size of the schizocarps overlaps widely, and measurements of schizocarps from throughout North America show that there is no clear geographical or ecological separation between plants with smaller fruit and those with larger fruit. Therefore, there is no justification for maintaining the distinction.

Populations of small plants with linear leaves from parts of Canada and Alaska have been separated as Callitriche anceps. However, these appear to represent the lower extremes of variation in C. heterophylla, and morphological characters do not justify maintaining the distinction.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 53. FNA vol. 17, p. 51.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Callitriche Plantaginaceae > Callitriche
Sibling taxa
C. brutia, C. fassettii, C. hermaphroditica, C. heterophylla, C. longipedunculata, C. marginata, C. pedunculosa, C. peploides, C. stagnalis, C. stenoptera, C. terrestris, C. trochlearis
C. brutia, C. fassettii, C. hermaphroditica, C. longipedunculata, C. marginata, C. palustris, C. pedunculosa, C. peploides, C. stagnalis, C. stenoptera, C. terrestris, C. trochlearis
Synonyms C. palustris var. stenocarpa, C. palustris var. verna, C. stenocarpa, C. verna C. anceps, C. bolanderi, C. deflexa var. austinii, C. heterophylla subsp. bolanderi, C. heterophylla var. bolanderi
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 969. (1753) Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 3. (1813)
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