Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

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Callitriche stagnalis

Common name

Common starwort, Common water-starwort

Family

Plantaginaceae

Where found

Creeping on mud or submerged or forming mats in water. Widespread.

Notes

Introduced herb, usually annual. Stems to about 0.9 m long. Stems and leaves hairless, sometimes slightly rough. Leaves opposite each other, 0.2–2.5 cm long, 1–6 mm wide, margins smooth. Male and female flowers on the same plant. Flowers minute, with 0 petals, and 2 bracteoles. Flowers usually paired with one of each sex, sometimes single. Stamens lengthening at fruiting, about twice as long as the seed cases. Seed cases usually slightly longer than broad, about 1.5–2 mm wide, with a prominent wing.

Mature seed cases are necessary for identification to species level.

Family was Callitrichaceae. 

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Callitriche~stagnalis (accessed 23 April 2021)