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California waterwort

American waterwort, élatine américaine

Habit Herbs, submersed or growing on exposed but wet substrates, 1–5 cm. Herbs, submersed, 1.5–5 cm.
Stems

decumbent to erect, branched.

ascending or prostrate, branched.

Leaves

light green to green, sometimes becoming reddish in terrestrial plants;

stipules lanceolate, 0.5–0.6 mm, margins dentate, apex acute;

petiole 1–4 mm;

blade obovate to oblanceolate, 4–12(–15) × 1.2–3 mm, base narrowly cuneate, apex acute to obtuse.

green;

stipules lanceolate, 0.5–0.6 mm, margins dentate, apex acute;

petiole 0.5–3 mm;

blade obovate to broadly spatulate, 3–8 × 0.5–3.5 mm, base attenuate or cuneate, apex rounded to shallowly emarginate.

Pedicels

1.5–2.5(–3.5) mm, recurved in fruit.

to 0.1 mm, erect.

Flowers

sepals 4, usually equal, sometimes 1 reduced, oblong-ovate or widely lanceolate, 0.5–0.6 × 0.3–0.4 mm;

petals 4, greenish white, slightly reddish, or pink, elliptic or ovate, 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.6 mm;

stamens 8;

styles 4.

cleistogamous when submersed;

sepals (2–)3, equal or 1 reduced, oblong-ovate or widely lanceolate, 0.5 × 0.3–0.5 mm;

petals 3, greenish white or pinkish white to reddish, elliptic or ovate, 0.6–1.2 × 0.5 mm;

stamens 3;

styles 3.

Capsules

depressed-ovoid, 4-locular, 1.3–2.5 mm diam.

oblong-ovoid, 3-locular, 1.5 mm diam.

Seeds

2–5 per locule, oblong to ellipsoid, curved 90–180°, 0.6–1 × 0.2 mm;

pits elliptic, length 1–3 times width, in 6–10 rows, (16–)20–29 per row.

9–12 per locule, slenderly cylindric, ± straight, 0.4–0.6 × (0.1–)0.2 mm;

pits angular-hexagonal, length 2–3 times width, in 6(–8) rows, (13–)16–25(–30) per row.

2n

= 36.

Elatine californica

Elatine americana

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Pools, pond shores, rice fields, stream banks. Muddy shorelines including estuaries, in water to 50 cm deep.
Elevation 0–1900(–2600) m. (0–6200(–8500) ft.) 0–300(–900) m. (0–1000(–3000) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CT; DE; IL; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OK; PA; RI; SD; VA; MB; NB; NT; ON; QC
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Elatine californica is distinguished from other species of the genus by having long pedicels that are recurved in fruit and strongly curved seeds that can be nearly circular.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 350. FNA vol. 12, p. 352.
Parent taxa Elatinaceae > Elatine Elatinaceae > Elatine
Sibling taxa
E. ambigua, E. americana, E. brachysperma, E. chilensis, E. heterandra, E. minima, E. ojibwayensis, E. rubella, E. triandra
E. ambigua, E. brachysperma, E. californica, E. chilensis, E. heterandra, E. minima, E. ojibwayensis, E. rubella, E. triandra
Synonyms E. californica var. williamsii, E. williamsii Peplis americana, E. triandra subsp. americana, E. triandra var. americana
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 13: 361, 364. (1878) (Pursh) Arnott: Edinburgh J. Nat. Geogr. Sci. 1: 431. (1830)
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