CALLITRICHE STAGNALIS
Family and Genus:- See- PLANTAGINACEAE
Common Name:- Pond water-starwort,
Homotypic Synonyms:- Callitriche aquatica subsp. stagnalis, Callitriche
palustris subsp. stagnalis, Callitriche stagnalis var. vulgaris, Stellaria stagnalis.
Meaning:- Callitriche (Gr) Beautiful-hair.
Stagnalis (L) Of pools.
General description:- A perennial aquatic vascular plant species.
Stem:-
1) Long, varying in length from approximately 1 to 3 cm. giving rise to leaves that
are oppositely arranged.
Leaves:-
1) Submerged, 4 to 10 mm, linear, appearing long and thin with one vein running up
the center.
2) Floating, 2 x 5 to 8 mm wide, spatulate to obovate, with (5-7) veins, pale green.
3) Terrestrial, small, broadly elliptical or suborbicular, pale green.
4) Cauline, Disc, of hairs orbicular, of 8-10(-12) cells.
Flowers:-
1) Flowers, solitary, or 1 male and 1 female flower in the same leaf-axil.
2) Bracts, two, distinct, located at the base of each flower.
3) Pollen-grains subglobose.
4) Styles;
a) aquatic, erect or patent, in
b) terrestial, arcuate-recurved.
Fruit:-
1) 1·75 × 1·6-1·8 mm, suborbicular, pale brownish, deeply grooved between the
divergent mericarps.
2) Mericarps, broadly winged, radial thickening of cells of wing often weakly
developed.
Key features:-
1) Fruit, 1·4-1·75 mm, suborbicular, brownish
2) Mericarps, broadly winged from base to apex;
3) Leaves, pale green, narrowly elliptical when submerged;
Habitat:- Normally found in aquatic environments, particularly in which there is little
to no motion. Lakes, ponds, salt marshes, and slow moving rivers and streams.
This species is able to thrive in both fresh and brackish water habitats.
Distribution:- Most of Europe westwards from Estonia, W. Ukraine and Greece.
Previously unrecorded from Crete. Found by Giorgos Palimetakis in 2024 near
Therisos, west Crete
Flowering time:- May to September.
Photos by:- A.N. Other
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
