Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

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Annual, short-lived perennial herb, in or near water; roots fibrous, from taproot or not, generally from lower leaf axils also.
Stem: generally soft.
Leaf: simple, opposite, ± 4-ranked; stipules scarious.
Inflorescence: flowers in upper axils, 1 or few in clusters.
Flower: small, inconspicuous, radial, bisexual; sepals, petals 2–5, equal in number, generally free; ovary spheric, styles 3–5, short.
Fruit: capsule, septicidal, ± spheric, ovoid, or depressed-ovoid, walls thin; chambers 2–5, each several to many-seeded.
Seed: small; surface net-like or glossy.
2 genera, 50 species: ± worldwide. [Yang & Tucker 2007 Fl China 13:55–56] —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.
Unabridged references: [Tucker 1986 J Arnold Arbor 67:471–483]

Key to Elatinaceae

Stem: Erect underwater, ± prostrate on wet ground, branched or not; base not woody.
Leaf: petiole < 1/3 blade, flat, ± blade-like; blades narrow- elliptic to ± round, ± entire, bases wedge-shaped to ± round, tips round.
Inflorescence: flowers 1(2) per node.
Flower: sepals, petals wide- elliptic, membranous; sepals pale green; petals pale green-white; stamens (1) 3, 6, 8, filaments 1/2 × to ± equal petals, anthers wide- ovoid; styles 3–4.
Fruit: ± spheric or depressed-ovoid; chambers 3–4, each 3–15-seeded; pedicel generally ± 0.
Seed: ± visible through fruit wall, elliptic, straight or curved, brown to yellow-brown; surface net-like due to ridges between ± linear rows of pits.
± 25 species: worldwide. (Greek: fir tree, from a Eur sp. that suggests such a plant in miniature) At least 20× magnification needed for pits on seeds.

Stem: ± erect, 1–8 cm.
Leaf: lanceolate to oblong- elliptic; petiole 1/4 blade.
Inflorescence: flowers 1 per node.
Flower: sepals 3, ± equal; petals 3, equal, ± > sepals.
Fruit: chambers 3; pedicel turned to 1 side, 1/4–1/2 fruit length.
Seed: narrow- oblong, curved 15–30°; pits ± 20 per row, wider than long.
Vernal pools, wet places; 10–100 m. Great Central Valley;

Previous taxon: Elatine
Next taxon: Elatine brachysperma

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

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Bioregions in which taxon occurs	Red area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon; markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may provide evidence for eFlora range revision or may have georeferencing or identification issues.
Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.	Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. View all CCH records   CCH collections by month Duplicates counted once; synonyms included. Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa. Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.