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small waterwort, élatine naine

American waterwort, élatine américaine

Habit Herbs, submersed or emersed on wet substrates, 0.2–3(–10) cm. Herbs, submersed, 1.5–5 cm.
Stems

erect or ascending, usually unbranched, sometimes 1–2 branched.

ascending or prostrate, branched.

Leaves

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.

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

0–0.2 mm, erect.

to 0.1 mm, erect.

Flowers

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.

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

oblong-ovoid, 2-locular, 0.9–1.5 mm diam.

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

Seeds

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.

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 minima

Elatine americana

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Shores (sometimes intertidal) or in water to 2 m deep, sandy substrates mixed with organic debris, abandoned sunfish nests. Muddy shorelines including estuaries, in water to 50 cm deep.
Elevation 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.) 0–300(–900) m. (0–1000(–3000) ft.)
Distribution
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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 353. FNA vol. 12, p. 352.
Parent taxa Elatinaceae > Elatine Elatinaceae > Elatine
Sibling taxa
E. ambigua, E. americana, E. brachysperma, E. californica, E. chilensis, E. heterandra, 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 Crypta minima Peplis americana, E. triandra subsp. americana, E. triandra var. americana
Name authority (Nuttall) Fischer & C. A. Meyer: Linnaea 10: 73. (1835) (Pursh) Arnott: Edinburgh J. Nat. Geogr. Sci. 1: 431. (1830)
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