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

Matted 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, spatulate-obovate, 1.4–2.3 × 0.4–1.5 mm, 2+-veined.

Inflorescences

bracts caducous, sometimes persistent.

bracts absent.

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.

not solitary, usually 1 staminate and 1 pistillate in 1 axil opposed by 1 pistillate;

styles erect to reflexed;

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.

0.4–0.7 × 0.7–0.9 mm, shorter than wide;

mericarps black, swollen at base, not winged or winged only at apex, wings straight, 0–0.03 mm wide.

2n

= 20.

= 10.

Callitriche palustris

Callitriche peploides

Phenology Flowering May–Oct. Flowering (Jan–)Feb–Apr(–May), Oct–Dec.
Habitat Fast-flowing rivers and streams, backwaters, ditches, swamps, Sphagnum bogs, lakes, ponds, springs, seepages. Seasonally damp hollows, sandy soils in woodlands, gardens, waste grounds, rocky areas.
Elevation 0–3600 m. (0–11800 ft.) 0–100 m. (0–300 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
AL; AR; CA; FL; GA; LA; MS; TX [Introduced in Asia (China, Taiwan), Indian Ocean Islands (Madagascar, Réunion), 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.)

Three varieties of Callitriche peploides have been recognized (N. C. Fassett 1951b). A collection reported as a weed of a container in a nursery in San Bernardino County, California (T. C. Fuller 1967) is referable to var. semialata. The characters used to distinguish these varieties do not appear reliable, and it seems best to disregard them (R. V. Lansdown and M. J. M. Christenhusz 2011).

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 53. FNA vol. 17, p. 53.
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. heterophylla, C. longipedunculata, C. marginata, C. palustris, C. pedunculosa, C. stagnalis, C. stenoptera, C. terrestris, C. trochlearis
Synonyms C. palustris var. stenocarpa, C. palustris var. verna, C. stenocarpa, C. verna C. peploides var. semialata
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 969. (1753) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 5: 141. (1835)
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