Elatine chilensis |
Elatine brachysperma |
|
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Chilean waterwort |
short-seed waterwort |
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Habit | Herbs, emergent on wet substrates, 0.5–10 cm. | Herbs, submersed or emersed on wet substrates, 0.5–3(–5) cm. |
Stems | ascending or prostrate, branched. |
ascending or prostrate, branched. |
Leaves | usually green, sometimes reddish green; stipules triangular, 0.5–0.6 mm, margins entire, apex acute; petiole 1–3 mm; blade obovate to broadly spatulate, 3–4(–8) × 0.5–2.5 mm, base cuneate to rounded, apex obtuse to slightly emarginate. |
reddish green; stipules lanceolate, 0.5–0.6 mm, margins dentate, apex acute; petiole (0–)1–3 mm; blade narrowly oblong to ovate, 3–8 × 1–3 mm, base cuneate to rounded, apex rounded to obtuse. |
Pedicels | absent. |
0–0.4 mm, erect. |
Flowers | sepals 2–3, if 2, equal, if 3, 1 smaller, oblong, 0.5 × 0.3 mm; petals 3, pinkish white to reddish, elliptic to ovate, 1–1.5 × 0.5 mm; stamens 3; styles 3. |
sepals (2–)3, equal, oblong-ovate, 1.1–1.3 × 0.3 mm; petals 3, pinkish, elliptic or ovate, 1–1.5 × 0.5 mm; stamens 3; styles 3. |
Capsules | depressed-ovoid, 3-locular, 1.5–2 mm diam. |
globose, 3-locular, 1.1–1.7 mm diam. |
Seeds | 23–33 per locule, ellipsoid, straight or curved to 20°, 0.4–0.5 × 0.1–0.2 mm; pits angular-hexagonal, length 3–5 times width, in 6 rows, 16–25(–35) per row. |
(6–)10–15 per locule, oblong, straight or curved to 30°, 0.3–0.5 × 0.1–0.3 mm; pits ± round, length 1–2 times width, in 6(–8) rows, (9–)14–17 per row. |
Elatine chilensis |
Elatine brachysperma |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer–early fall. |
Habitat | Muddy shores (fresh or tidal), shallow vernal pools, ditches, rice fields. | Muddy shores, often of ponds or reservoirs. |
Elevation | 0–2800 m. (0–9200 ft.) | 0–1500(–2200) m. (0–4900(–7200) ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; NM; NV; OR; WA; South America
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AL; AZ; CA; GA; IL; LA; MT; NE; NM; NV; OH; OK; OR; TX; WA; WY; BC; Mexico (Baja California); South America (Argentina)
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Discussion | The distribution of Elatine chilensis has an amphitropical disjunction between western North America and southern South America. The minute seeds of E. chilensis probably have been dispersed between the two regions by birds (S. Carlquist 1983). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 352. | FNA vol. 12, p. 353. |
Parent taxa | Elatinaceae > Elatine | Elatinaceae > Elatine |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | E. gracilis | Alsinastrum brachyspermum, E. obovata, E. triandra var. brachysperma, E. triandra var. obovata, Potamopitys brachysperma |
Name authority | Gay: Fl. Chil. 1: 286. (1846) | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 13: 361, 363. (1878) |
Web links |
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