Elatine chilensis |
Elatine californica |
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Chilean waterwort |
California waterwort |
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Habit | Herbs, emergent on wet substrates, 0.5–10 cm. | Herbs, submersed or growing on exposed but wet substrates, 1–5 cm. |
Stems | ascending or prostrate, branched. |
decumbent to erect, 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. |
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. |
Pedicels | absent. |
1.5–2.5(–3.5) mm, recurved in fruit. |
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 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. |
Capsules | depressed-ovoid, 3-locular, 1.5–2 mm diam. |
depressed-ovoid, 4-locular, 1.3–2.5 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. |
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. |
Elatine chilensis |
Elatine californica |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Muddy shores (fresh or tidal), shallow vernal pools, ditches, rice fields. | Pools, pond shores, rice fields, stream banks. |
Elevation | 0–2800 m. (0–9200 ft.) | 0–1900(–2600) m. (0–6200(–8500) ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; NM; NV; OR; WA; South America
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AZ; CA; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
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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.) |
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. 352. | FNA vol. 12, p. 350. |
Parent taxa | Elatinaceae > Elatine | Elatinaceae > Elatine |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | E. gracilis | E. californica var. williamsii, E. williamsii |
Name authority | Gay: Fl. Chil. 1: 286. (1846) | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 13: 361, 364. (1878) |
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