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red-stem waterwort, Southwestern waterwort, three-flower waterwort

short-seed waterwort

Habit Herbs, emergent on wet substrates, 1–6(–16) cm. Herbs, submersed or emersed on wet substrates, 0.5–3(–5) cm.
Stems

ascending or prostrate, branched.

ascending or prostrate, branched.

Leaves

reddish green;

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

petiole 0.5–1(–3) mm;

blade oblong-lanceolate, 3–8 × (0.5–)1–2(–2.2) mm, base attenuate 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

0–0.5 mm, erect.

0–0.4 mm, erect.

Flowers

sepals (2–)3, if 2, equal, if 3, 1 smaller, oblong-ovate or widely lanceolate, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm;

petals 3, pinkish white to reddish, elliptic or 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

oblong-ovoid, 3-locular, 1.5–2.5 mm diam.

globose, 3-locular, 1.1–1.7 mm diam.

Seeds

10–20(–30) per locule, narrowly oblong, straight or curved to 15°, 0.5–0.7 × 0.1–0.3 mm;

pits angular-hexagonal, length 1–2 times width, in 8–10 rows, 16–25(–30) 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 rubella

Elatine brachysperma

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Muddy shores, shallow vernal pools, ditches, rice fields. Muddy shores, often of ponds or reservoirs.
Elevation 0–2900 m. (0–9500 ft.) 0–1500(–2200) m. (0–4900(–7200) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; KS; MT; NE; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AZ; CA; GA; IL; LA; MT; NE; NM; NV; OH; OK; OR; TX; WA; WY; BC; Mexico (Baja California); South America (Argentina)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Reports of Elatine rubella from southern British Columbia and Washington are based on misidentifications of E. brachysperma and E. chilensis, respectively.

(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
E. ambigua, E. americana, E. brachysperma, E. californica, E. chilensis, E. heterandra, E. minima, E. ojibwayensis, E. triandra
E. ambigua, E. americana, E. californica, E. chilensis, E. heterandra, E. minima, E. ojibwayensis, E. rubella, E. triandra
Synonyms Alsinastrum brachyspermum, E. obovata, E. triandra var. brachysperma, E. triandra var. obovata, Potamopitys brachysperma
Name authority Rydberg: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 260. (1900) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 13: 361, 363. (1878)
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