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California waterwort

small waterwort, élatine naine

Habit Herbs, submersed or growing on exposed but wet substrates, 1–5 cm. Herbs, submersed or emersed on wet substrates, 0.2–3(–10) cm.
Stems

decumbent to erect, branched.

erect or ascending, usually unbranched, sometimes 1–2 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, 0.2 mm, margins entire, apex rounded;

petiole 0–1 mm;

blade elliptic to oblanceolate or spatulate, 0.3–5(–11) × 0.7–1.8(–4) mm, base rounded to truncate, apex obtuse-acute.

Pedicels

1.5–2.5(–3.5) mm, recurved in fruit.

0–0.2 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, equal, ovate to oblong, 0.5 × 0.3 mm;

petals 2, reddish, long-elliptic, elliptic, or ovate, 1–1.5 × 0.5 mm;

stamens 2;

styles 2.

Capsules

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

oblong-ovoid, 2-locular, 0.9–1.5 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.

4–9 per locule, thickly cylindric to barrel-shaped, straight, 0.4–0.5(–0.7) × 0.2(–0.3) mm;

pits elliptic, length 1.2–1.6 times width, in 8–9 rows, (11–)15–20 per row.

Elatine californica

Elatine minima

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Pools, pond shores, rice fields, stream banks. Shores (sometimes intertidal) or in water to 2 m deep, sandy substrates mixed with organic debris, abandoned sunfish nests.
Elevation 0–1900(–2600) m. (0–6200(–8500) ft.) 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
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from FNA
CT; DE; IL; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM
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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. 353.
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. americana, E. brachysperma, E. californica, E. chilensis, E. heterandra, E. ojibwayensis, E. rubella, E. triandra
Synonyms E. californica var. williamsii, E. williamsii Crypta minima
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 13: 361, 364. (1878) (Nuttall) Fischer & C. A. Meyer: Linnaea 10: 73. (1835)
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