Callitriche marginata Torrey =Callitriche longipedunculata Callitrichaceae (Water-Starwort Family) Native Long-stalked Water-starwort

                                                                                                                                                                              Plant Characteristics: Rooted aquatic with a rosette of floating leaves or sometimes the filiform stems reclining on wet soil after water recedes; floating leaves spatulate to round-ovate, the submersed leaves similar to the floating leaves or a few of the lower ones linear; petioles 2-3 mm. long; those in the floating rosette shortest; bracteoles about 1 mm. long, obovate; flowers sessile, the staminate flowers 1 or 2 or absent from some axils, the filaments 1-2 mm. long; fruits oblong, winged all around the margin, 1-1.4 mm. long, almost black when ripe, distinctly pitted; peduncles 4-25 mm. long.

Habitat:  A very common species in early spring below 3000 ft.; Central Valley, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills, south to Coastal southern California.  Usually gone by summer.

Name:  Greek, kallos, beautiful and trichos, hair because of the slender stems.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 321).  Latin, longus, long and NL. pedunculus, dim. of L. pes, genit. pedis, foot.  Ex. peduncle.  (Jaeger 143, 186). Referring to the long peduncles. (my comment).  Latin, marginis, margin, border.  (Jaeger 150).  Possibly referring to the winged margin on the fruit.  (my comment).

General:  Rare in the study area, having been found only in the small vernal pond at the top of the Castaways Bluffs.  I did not notice this species in 1992, the first year in which I began to observe this pond; the occurrence of the species may be due to the amount of water there.  This year, 1993, the pond had water all winter and had a mud bottom, last year, the water was intermittent and the pond bottom had foliage that was underwater some of the time.  (my comments).        The long list of synonyms associated with many of the species of Callitriche attests that it is a group made up of highly polymorphic species, a situation that lends itself to divergent interpretations among taxonomists.  The polymorphism may be attributed to several causes.  First, several species may be either amphibious or terrestrial, and in each habitat the species in question presents a very different appearance.  Second, apomixis prevails in most species, especially in the early flowers, in which no stamens are produced but seed sets regularly.  This provides for the preservation of chance genetic strains.  Finally, Giuseppe Martinoli has demonstrated that certain species involve polyploid complexes.  (Mason 555).        One genus, with about 20 species, widely distributed. (Munz, Flora So. Calif.).

Text Ref:  Abrams Vol. III 45; Hickman, Ed. 458; Mason 557; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 322; Roberts 17.

Photo Ref:  April 93 #3,4,6..

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.  

Computer Ref: Plant Data 441

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 11/14/02.

                                              April Photo