TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual, perennial herb, in or near water; roots fibrous, from a taproot or not, generally from lower leaf axils as well
Stem generally soft
Leaves simple, opposite, ± 4-ranked; stipules scarious
Inflorescence: flowers axillary or terminal, solitary or clustered
Flowers small, inconspicuous, radial, bisexual; sepals and petals generally free, 35, equal in number; ovary spheric, styles 35, very short
Fruit: capsule, septicidal, ± spheric, ovoid, or depressed-ovoid, walls thin; chambers 25, each severalmany-seeded
Seed very small; surface net-like or glossy
Genera in family: 2 genera, 50 species: ± worldwide
Reference: [Tucker 1986 J Arnold Arbor 67:471483]
Annual, short-lived perennial herb, glabrous
Stem erect underwater, ± prostrate on wet ground, branched or not; base not woody
Leaves opposite, ± 4-ranked; petiole < 1/3 blade, flat, ± blade-like; blades narrowly elliptic to ± round, ± entire, bases wedge-shaped to ± rounded, tips rounded
Inflorescence: flowers 1(2) per node, 01 per upper leaf axil
Flower: sepals 34, widely elliptic, membranous, very pale green; petals generally as many as and ± = sepals, widely elliptic, membranous, pale greenish white; stamens 3, 6, 8, rarely 1, filaments ± 1/2 X to ± = petals, anthers widely ovoid; styles 34
Fruit ± spheric or depressed-ovoid; chambers 34, each 315- seeded; pedicel generally ± 0
Seeds ± visible through fruit wall, elliptic, straight or curved, brown to yellowish brown; surface net-like
Species in genus: ± 25 species: worldwide
Etymology: (Greek: fir tree, from a Eur sp. that suggests such a plant in miniature)
At least 20X magnification needed for pits on seeds.
Native |
Stem decumbent to erect, 15(12) cm
Leaf ovate, narrowly oblong; petiole 1/41/3 blade or indistinct
Inflorescence: flowers 1 per node
Flower: sepals 2 or, if 3, 1 < others; petals 3, equal, = and ± wider than sepals; stamens 3, opposite sepals
Fruit: chambers 3
Seed widely oblong, curved ± 15°; pits 1015 per row, wider than long
Ecology: Muddy shores, shallow pools
Elevation: 50500 m.
Bioregional distribution: California
Distribution outside California: c&s US
Flowering time: AprSep
Synonyms: E. obovata (Fassett) H. Mason